Life With Casey Alternate Reality
by SelfControl
Summary: Derek wakes up in an alternate reality where his life seems to be backwards. The biggest difference is that Casey is the prankster and Derek is the keener whom she preys on.
1. Purple Hair

**Hello! So here is that story I promised I would update. Sorry it took so long. I've been really busy. I decided it will be a muli-chapter but not a very long one. **

**Disclaimer: I of course don't own LWD but I do like the show and fanfiction related to it. =)**

**I hope you like it.  
**

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**Life With Casey (An Alternate Reality)**

**Chapter 1**

**Purple hair**

Derek smirked as he sat back in his recliner pretending to watch the TV. His stepsister, Casey, had just gone upstairs to have a shower and was in store for a little surprise. He guessed it would take about five minutes before she screamed his name, breaking it in two the way she always did when she was angry with him. He checked the time on his phone, one minute to go...

"DER-EK!"

_Ahh. Music to my ears. _Derek leaned back further in his chair with his hands behind his head and smiled triumphantly. _Another prank successfully pulled off._

"Derek, this time you have gone too far!" Casey's voice shouted from the top of the stairs.

Derek turned in his chair to see his stepsister clad in only a white towel, her body dripping wet... oh and her hair was purple.

"Nice hair, Barney." Derek laughed.

"This isn't funny! How could you do this?" Casey shrieked as she made her way down the stairs and stood in front of him.

Derek shrugged nonchalantly, "There was some dye left over from the bet Lizzie made with my Dad and Ed, so I thought I'd put it to some good use."

"By putting it in my shampoo bottle?" She seethed through clenched teeth.

"Of course. What better way?" He grinned up at her.

Casey suddenly bent down and grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt, "You better hope this washes out! I have a date tonight with Truman and there is no way that I am going anywhere with purple hair!"

"Then may I suggest you get washing it?" Derek smirked, trying to ignore the fact that he could see Casey's cleavage from where the towel was wrapped tightly around her.

_She's your stepsister, dude, don't even go there. _He chided himself.

Casey released him and groaned in frustration, "You know, some day I am going to get you back so bad that you'll wish you'd never messed with me."

Derek laughed, "Maybe in another life, Spacey."

"We'll see about that." She said and then turned to head back up the stairs.

Derek chuckled to himself as he watched her retreat back to the bathroom, "A world where Casey pranks me... Now _that_ I would love to see."

# # #

That night at dinner Derek grinned across at Casey who still had bits of purple in her hair. "Thanks to you I had to cancel my date with Truman." His stepsister scowled at him.

"Lucky Truman." Derek sneered.

"_Derek_." George glared at his son from where he was seated at the head of the table. "This time you have gone too far. How would you like it if Casey had dyed your hair purple?"

Derek laughed, "Casey could never pull off a prank like that. She doesn't have the guts."

"Well how's this for guts? You're grounded for two weeks." His father replied with a smug grin.

"Two weeks? Come on, Dad, I'm eighteen, do you really think it's necessary to ground me?"

"As long as you live under my roof, I'll ground you all I want, eighteen or not."

Casey smirked across at him as she bit into her food and Derek kicked her foot under the table before excusing himself to his room.

# # #

Derek groaned as he flopped down on top of his bed and grabbed a magazine from his shelf. He couldn't believe his dad had grounded him for a harmless prank._ It's not like I put permanent dye in her shampoo bottle. The purple should come out after a few more washes. No big deal. _He thought to himself. _And besides, I think it looked good on her. I don't know why she thought otherwise. Nothing can make Casey unattractive. She's beautiful. _Derek's eyes widened. _Did I just call Casey beautiful? That is so wrong! I can't be thinking that about my stepsister!_

Derek opened the magazine and began flipping through its pages absentmindedly, trying to focus his thoughts away from Casey, but failing miserably. Living together for three and half years had definitely changed his life. He had to admit that a bit of her had rubbed off on him and likewise for her, considering she'd just flashed him _his_ trademark smirk down at the dinner table.

He thought about what his father had said, _"How would you like it if Casey had dyed your hair purple?"_

Casey had been known for pulling off a few pranks over the years but they were never as good as his. Then Derek began to wonder what it would be like if Casey was the prankster and not him...

_Ha! Like that would ever happen! _Derek laughed out loud.

Suddenly Derek's vision became clouded and darkness surrounded him.

# # #

"Derek, get up! Derek, you're going to be late for school!"

Derek opened his eyes to see Edwin standing over his bed with a concerned look upon his face.

"W...what?"

"She's done it again, D." Edwin shook his head. "You're lucky I'm a nice brother and warned you before it was too late."

"What are you talking about?" Derek asked as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He sat up in bed and stared around his room in confusion. "Um... Ed... Where am I?"

"You're in your room. Where do you think you are?"

"B...but this isn't my room..."

Derek looked around and thought he recognized the room he was in, minus the academic trophies and lame posters on the walls. This room looked like it belonged to some nerd, not Derek Venturi.

"Derek, are you feeling all right?" Edwin's voice cut into his thoughts.

"Wait a minute..." Derek finally realized where he was. "This is Casey's room... except a little different..."

"Um... no... This is_ your_ room, Derek. Casey's room is next door."

"No, _my_ room is next door."

"Derek, what are you talking about? This has always been your room ever since we moved in with the McDonalds."

"Um... Ed, it's the other way around. The McDonalds moved in with_ us_."

Edwin groaned, "Whatever, Derek, I don't have time for this. I have to get to school before I'm late as well."

"What do you mean?"

"Casey set your clock wrong. It says it's seven-thirty, when it's actually eight-thirty."

Derek's eyes went wide, "I'm late for school?"

"That's what I have been trying to tell you."

"Wait... I'm late for school... Why would that bother me?" Derek shook his head.

"Because you hate being late for school. You've had perfect attendance since pre-k."

"I have?"

Edwin groaned again, "Look, Derek, I don't know what is going on with you today but I have to go now. You're welcome for waking you up. See you later." Edwin said before leaving the room and closing the door.

"I'm dreaming right?" Derek spoke aloud as he looked around the room again. "There is no way that this is my room and that Casey just pranked me." He decided to try pinching himself but nothing happened. Then he slapped himself but still nothing happened. "This is ridiculous! There is no way that this is real!"

Derek stood up and began pacing the room.

"I am losing my mind. How did I end up in Casey's room?" Derek's eyes lit up as he jumped out of bed and rushed into the room next door.

"What the..." Derek stopped in his tracks. "This is definitely not my room..."

The walls were painted purple and blue and had posters of various bands and dance crews hung all around.

"There is no way that this is Casey's room either... This room is actually pretty... cool. Definitely not Casey style."

"Smerek, what are you doing in Casey's room? You know no one is supposed to be in there right?"

Derek turned around to see his little sister, Marti, standing there with a shocked expression on her face.

"This isn't Casey's room." Derek said as he knelt down to Marti's level.

"Um... Yes it is... and aren't you supposed to be at school by now?"

"Smarti, please, tell me the truth... What is going on here?" Derek begged as he gripped his sister's shoulders.

"What is going on is that you are acting very strange... oh and Casey wanted me to tell you that she took your car."

"She took my car!"

Marti nodded as she made her way down the stairs with her back pack and Sir. Monks-a-lot.

Derek made his way back into the room that was supposedly his and walked to the dresser to put on some clothes.

"Where are my pants?" Derek wondered aloud as he searched each one of the drawers. "And what the heck kind of wardrobe is this?" Derek asked as he pulled out a blue and yellow sweater vest. The drawer was full of them in all sorts of colors. "I would never wear one of these." Derek said in disgust and threw it back in.

"Something very strange is going on here..."

# # #

Derek ran into the school with a few minutes to spare as he stopped at his locker to grab his science textbook. His locker didn't even look the same as he opened it up and peered inside. It was actually _clean_...

"Hey, D, you made it just in time." A familiar voice said as Derek closed his locker to see Noel Covington standing there with a grin.

"Uh... yeah..." Derek gave him a strange look.

_Why the heck is Noel talking to me? And did he just call me D?_

"Let me guess, Casey set your alarm to the wrong time again?" Noel asked with a chuckle.

"Um..." Derek didn't know what to say. All this confusion was making his head spin.

"And, seriously dude, what are you wearing?" Noel tried to hold back his laughter as he looked Derek up and down.

Derek, unfortunately, was wearing really short yellow shorts and a pink t-shirt.

"Somebody stole all of my clothes." Derek grumbled with a red face. "These were the only things left."

"Well maybe you should change into your gym clothes. Anything would be better than what you're wearing now."

Derek nodded and then he realized that Noel was still standing there.

"Uh... Noel... not to be rude... but why are you even talking to me...? I mean... we barely know each other outside of the play we were in together last year..."

Noel looked at him like he was crazy, "What are you talking about? We've been friends since the first day you and your family moved here from Toronto three years ago. Are you feeling all right?"

Derek shook his head with a frown, "What? No... You've got it all wrong. I've lived in London all my life. And I am not your friend either. My friends are Sam and Ralph, among most of the school's population."

Noel started laughing, "Sam and Ralph are your friends? Hahaha! Yeah, right! You mean the same guys who follow your stepsister around like she's a goddess and make fun of you? That Sam and Ralph?"

"What are you talking about?"

"See for yourself, D. Here comes trouble now." Noel said as he pointed over Derek's shoulder with a foreboding look upon his face.

Derek turned just in time to see a very attractive girl walking up to him with a sly grin upon her face. She had long brown hair with purple streaks in it, dark make-up, and she was wearing a short black skirt and a baby blue v-neck top.

"Nice clothes, Nerd." The girl chuckled as she stopped in front of him. That was when Derek realized that he knew this girl standing in front of him.

"Casey?" His eyes went wide and his jaw dropped as he stared at his stepsister in shock.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Casey snapped as she folded her arms across her chest.

"W... what happened to you?" Derek stuttered out.

"What are you talking about?" Casey glared at him. "You're the one that looks like a freak."

Derek was beyond confused now. _Since when does Casey dress like that? Or talk to me like that? This is a dream... it's got to be a dream..._

"Casey, please excuse my friend, he's not feeling so great today." Noel spoke up from beside him. "Why don't you just tell Derek where you put his clothes? You don't expect him to go the whole day looking like this, do you?"

Casey ignored Noel as she continued to stare down her stepbrother, "Seriously, Derek, what is your problem? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

"I... I..."

"You're not making this prank any fun." Casey complained. "Your clothes are in the girls change room by the way." She sneered and began walking away.

"Casey, wait!" Derek called out as he grabbed her by the arm.

"Don't touch me!" Casey snapped as she pulled away from his grasp and turned to scowl at him. "What do you want?"

"This doesn't make any sense... Why are you acting like this?"

"Acting like what?"

"This isn't you..."

"Are you on drugs or something? I bet your dad would love to hear that." She grinned with a raised brow.

Derek shook his head, "No... at least I don't think I am... I'm so confused..."

"Hey, are you harassing, Casey?" A familiar voice shouted from behind Derek.

Derek turned around to see Sam and Ralph standing there with not so friendly expressions on their faces.

"Hey, guys! You wouldn't lie to me! Tell me what's going on here?" Derek almost begged through wary eyes.

"What's going on here is that you better not lay your grubby fingers on Casey again." Ralph growled at him.

Derek turned to look at Sam with a hopeful gaze, "Sammy, come on, we've been friends since pre-k, tell me this is all a joke."

"The only joke here is you, Venturi," Sam scowled with disgust as he shoved Derek into his locker. "And don't ever call me Sammy again!"

Derek was terrified. _Sam had never talked to him that way!_

"Leave him alone, I don't think he's feeling well today." Noel said as he stepped between them.

"So why don't you take your little boyfriend to the nurse, Covington?" Sam sneered and high fived Ralph as they began walking away.

Derek shook his head and rubbed his eyes. _This cannot be happening... _

Suddenly the bell went off and a part of Derek was worried about being late to class. He shook his head again. _Why would I be worried about being late to class? I do it all the time._

"You sure you're going to be alright?" Noel turned around and asked with a concerned face.

"Seriously... Why do you care?" Derek frowned.

"Because you're my friend..."

Derek groaned as he ran his hands through his hair, "Look, I don't know what is going on here... but you are not my..."

"Derek?"

Derek turned to see Emily Davis standing there with a huge black duffel bag in her hands.

"I'm sorry I interrupted but I thought you might want these back." Emily smiled as she handed the duffel bag to Derek. "I found them in the girl's locker room."

"Um..." Derek took the bag, which was heavy, and stared at it in confusion.

"It's your clothes. I'm guessing by the looks of your outfit that Casey had something to do with this."

"Uh..."

"Thanks, Emily." Noel smiled as he shook her hand. "That was very nice of you to return those."

"It's no problem." Emily shrugged as she smiled at Noel and then gave Derek a bemused look. "Well... I'll see you around then... I better get to class."

Noel waved bye as Derek still stood dumbfounded, staring at the bag in his hands.

"Dude, that was kind of rude... You didn't even thank her or say bye." Noel said as he turned back to Derek once again.

"This makes no sense... Casey would never be able to pull off a prank like this." Derek mumbled to himself.

"What are you talking about? Your sister pulls pranks like this all the time, especially on you."

"_Step_-sister." Derek corrected out of habit.

"I mean... yeah she's hot... but she is evil." Noel continued talking with a shake of his head.

Derek ignored him as he set the bag down and opened it up. He sifted through the clothing with a disgusted face, "These aren't my clothes."

Noel knelt down and peeked inside, "Of course these are yours. How can you not recognize your own clothing?"

"I would never wear something like this." Derek said as he held up a blue and orange sweater vest."

Noel stared at him like he was crazy, "D, you love wearing sweater vests."

"No I don't, and would you quit calling me D?" Derek snapped.

"I always call you D..." Noel looked hurt as he stood up.

Derek growled in frustration as he picked up the bag and slammed his locker door shut, "This is insane!" He shouted as he began making his way down the hall.

"Where are you going? Your first class is the other way." Noel called after him.

Derek ignored him and continued walking without another word.

# # #

Derek stared at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. _I still look like me... but somehow I'm not me... _He thought as he examined himself a little closer. He'd found a pair of jeans among the clothes in the bag and a blue t-shirt that didn't look too bad, so he'd gone to the bathroom in the school and changed into them.

He turned on the tap and splashed water on his face, hoping it might wake him up from whatever bizarre dream he was having but when he looked back up into the mirror he was still there.

_Why is this happening to me? _

Derek didn't even bother taking the bag of clothes with him as he walked out of the bathroom. He had a couple hundred bucks in his wallet and decided he would rather buy a whole new wardrobe than walk around in sweater vests.

As he turned the corner of the hallway he wasn't watching where he was going and bumped right into someone.

"Ouch! Watch where you're walking!" The person exclaimed.

Derek recognized the voice immediately and dread filled his mind as he stared into the angry, deep blue eyes of his stepsister.

"Derek?" Her eyes went wide when she realized who he was. "What are you doing wandering the halls during class time?"

"I..." Derek couldn't help but stare at her. He still couldn't get over her appearance. She looked so different.

"I see you found your clothes." She said as she folded her arms across her chest and pursed her lips in amusement. "Where's one of those dorky sweater vests you usually wear?"

Derek frowned, "I've never worn those."

Casey raised her eyebrow, "You know... something just doesn't seem right with you today..."

"You're telling me." Derek scoffed.

"It couldn't be my prank because I do that stuff to you all the time..."

"Since when?"

"Since we first met. Remember, I got my friend to pretend to be me, so that I wouldn't have to meet you." She laughed at the memory.

Derek shook his head, "No, I did that to _you_."

"Yeah right!" She laughed even harder. "You could never pull a prank on me!"

"I do it all the time, Space-case!"

Suddenly Casey grabbed him by the collar and glared at him, "What did you just call me?"

"Uh... Space case...It's what I always call you...among other names..." Derek choked out.

"You _are_ on drugs aren't you?" She demanded to know as she pulled him even closer and stared into his eyes.

"N-no... I don't know what's going on but I would never..."

Casey let him go and stepped back, "You're right. The perfect goody-two-shoes, Derek Venturi, would never do anything bad." She mocked.

"Who are you calling goody-two-shoes?"

"Oh please, Derek, you never do anything wrong. Your dad could never be so proud of you. All I ever hear is why can't you be more like Derek? You, with all your academic trophies, your straight A's, and perfect attendance record." She scoffed as she continued to glare at him. "Which reminds me... What are you doing in the halls during class time?"

"I didn't go to class." Derek shrugged.

Casey's jaw dropped in shock, "You're skipping?"

"I do it all the time."

"No you don't! You hate skipping class!"

"No, _you_ hate skipping class!"

"I always skip class, you retard!"

"Yeah," Derek rolled his eyes, "just like how you always prank me."

"Seriously, what is wrong with you?"

"_You_ are what's wrong with me! This whole messed up day is what's wrong with me! None of this makes any sense! I woke up in the wrong bedroom; Noel Covington thinks he's my friend; my real friends: Sam and Ralph hate me, and then you... you look like this..." he gestured to her appearance, "and act not... _like_ _Casey_..."

"What are you talking about? I am Casey."

Derek sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, "You wouldn't understand."

"Are you calling me stupid now?" She advanced on him.

Derek held up his hands, "No, no... I just mean that..." he let out a groan. "I don't know what I mean... I'm just confused..."

"Whatever." Casey said as she began to walk away.

"Casey, wait!" Derek grabbed her by the arm to stop her from leaving.

Casey yanked her arm from his grasp and turned to glare at him, "What?"

"I just... I need your... help..." Derek struggled to say as he stared at the ground.

"Since when do _you_ need_ my_ help?"

"Look, I know you don't understand anything I am saying... but just hear me out..." He pleaded with desperate eyes.

Casey sighed, "Derek, this is crazy... you and I never talk like this..."

"Sure we do... We've had our moments over the years..."

"Um, no we haven't. I prank you, you get mad, we fight, and then we avoid each other. That's how it's always been."

"Well not where I come from." Derek mumbled.

Casey raised her brow, "And _where_ exactly _do_ you come from?"

"You already think I'm crazy so I might as well just tell you..." Derek said as he grabbed her by the shoulder and ushered her to a more secluded part of the hall.

"Would you quit touching me?" Casey snapped as she once again pulled away from him.

"Sorry..."

_Man, she's worse than I have ever been..._

"Just get on with your story because I have somewhere I need to be." She said as she folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the wall.

"Ok... but please don't say anything until I am done telling you... because I have a feeling you might not like what I am about to say..."

"Fine, just hurry up..." She said impatiently.

Derek let out a breath as he looked into her eyes and started talking, "Ok... where I come from... _I_ am the one that pranks _you_ all the time..."

Casey went to open her mouth to object but Derek cut her off.

"I'm not finished..."

Casey frowned but motioned for him to continue.

"As I was saying... You and your mom and Lizzie moved in with me, my dad and siblings three years ago... _You_ are the one that loves school and reading books; you're not very popular, and you would never dress like this; while I am the complete opposite. I hate school, I play hockey, I am popular, and I most certainly never wear sweater vests.

"My best friends are Sam and Ralph while you are the one that is friends with Noel and Emily. You and I fight a lot but sometimes we actually get along and are civil with one another... Are you understanding any of this?"

Casey stared at him for a moment and then burst out laughing, "Are you serious? _You_ popular? _Me _loving school? In your dreams, loser!"

Derek was flabbergasted, "But... but its true..." His eyes widened when he realized something. "Your hair!" He exclaimed.

"What's wrong with my hair?"

"It's got purple in it!"

"Yeah, so what?"

"So _I_ did that to you!"

"Excuse me?"

"Last night, I put purple dye in your shampoo bottle and it didn't fully wash out!"

"Actually I just dyed it myself. I like purple."

"No, _I _did that to you and then my dad grounded me."

Casey laughed again, "As if your dad would ever ground his precious son!"

"He always grounds me... mainly because of the pranks I pull on you..."

"Ok... seriously... this is just getting annoying now. You need help, Venturi."

"Case, I know this sounds insane..."

"Don't call me Case!" Casey snapped as she scowled at him. "It is insane. _You're_ insane. Now leave me alone!"

Derek watched his stepsister walk away flashing him the loser sign with her forefinger and thumb. _I can't believe I'm about to say this... but I miss the old Casey. He admitted to himself._

* * *

**Ok... So there is the first part. I'd love to read your thoughts on it and if you have any suggestions or ideas let me know. **


	2. Nightmare Casey

**Thanks for the Awesome reviews! I'm glad you like it so far. And to be honest... I don't even know exactly where I'm going with this... I just got the idea and decided to roll with it. **

**Here is the second chapter. I hope you like this one as well. And I know Casey is really creepy... she actually scares me a little too. Haha. But things will get better... **

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**Chapter 2**

**Nightmare Casey**

"There is no way I can go to these classes." Derek spoke aloud as he stared at his class schedule with a frown. After the failed conversation with Casey, he'd decided to go back to his locker to see if anything in there could be of some aid to his confusion but all he'd found were some textbooks and a class schedule. He almost fainted when he realized he was in all the smart classes.

"Derek, what are you doing in the halls? Aren't you supposed to be in Science right now?"

Derek turned around to see Paul Greeby, the school guidance counsellor standing there with a puzzled expression on his face.

"Paul?" Derek answered with an equally puzzled face. "How do you know my schedule?"

"Well I am your guidance counsellor; I have been for three years now." Paul smiled as he took a step forward.

Derek shook his head, "I've only talked to you a couple of times in those three years. Casey is that one that has to visit you every week."

Paul raised an eyebrow, "Casey? You mean your stepsister that enjoys making your life miserable everyday?"

Derek groaned as he ran his hands through his hair, "Let me guess... in this messed up reality thing that I have somehow been pulled into, I am the one that needs psychotherapy everyday?"

"It's not psychotherapy..." Paul said as he took another step towards Derek. His face filled with concern. "Are you feeling all right, Derek?"

"Yes!" Derek snapped irritably. "I am feeling fine! It's the rest of you that have gone crazy!"

Paul closed the distance between them as he placed a hand on Derek's shoulder and looked into his eyes, "Would you like to talk?"

Derek pulled away from him with a scowl, "I am not crazy. All I know is that when I woke up this morning my life was turned upside down."

Paul folded his arms across his chest, "How so?"

Derek shook his head, "Never mind. You wouldn't understand. _I_ barely understand."

"I'd like to try." Paul smiled sympathetically.

Derek turned away from him and slammed his locker door shut, "I have to go."

"To class?"

"Yeah right," Derek laughed. "There is no way I could go to those classes. That's Casey's thing. Not mine."

"Then where are you going?"

"Anywhere but here. I need to figure out what is going on." Derek said as he began to walk away.

"Derek, you're not aloud to leave the school premises."

"Watch me." Derek snapped and continued down the hall towards the exit.

"Derek, you could be suspended and I know you don't want that on your record."

Derek laughed, "A suspension is the least of my worries right now, and besides, it wouldn't be the first one on my record."

"Derek!" Paul called after him but Derek ignored him as he hurried out the door with a wave of his hand.

# # #

Derek sighed as he made his way up the steps to his house and opened the door. He'd been gone the whole day trying to figure out what was going on with him but came up with no answers. After making a stop at the mall to pick out a new wardrobe, Derek decided that he'd better head home before his Dad and Nora got worried. That is if they even cared... He had no idea what to expect from them in this new reality.

"Smerek, you're home!" An excited Marti cried as she jumped into her brother's arms when Derek opened the door.

"Hey, Smarti, at least you still seem to be the same." Derek smiled as he held his little sister.

"Derek!" Nora exclaimed as she ran from the kitchen with a potato peeler in her hand. "George! George, he's back!" She shouted up the stairs.

Derek's father emerged at the top of the stairs and stared down at his son with fret in his eyes.

"Derek, where have you been? Are you alright? Did something happen?" George asked as he sprinted down the steps and stopped in front of his son. His eyes widened when he noticed his son's appearance had changed. "Derek, what are you wearing?"

"I... uh... went shopping. I needed new clothes." Derek answered, avoiding looking into his father's eyes.

George frowned, "You went shopping?"

Derek nodded, "That's what I just said."

George looked taken aback and his frown was replaced by a look of concern, "Are you feeling alright, Son?"

Derek snorted, "I have no idea... And since when do you call me _Son_?"

"Your school called today and said you hadn't attended any of your classes..."

Derek nodded, "That's because they weren't my classes."

"What are you talking about?"

"And this isn't my house." Derek said with wide eyes as he noticed for the first time that his house had been completely re-decorated. It reminded him of the time that the McDonald's had tried to make their home a little more feminine and had gotten rid of their couch and put the TV in the basement.

"Of course this is your house, Derek. It has been since we moved in here three years ago."

Derek let out a groan as he made his way towards the stairs, "Just never mind!"

"Where are you going? We are still talking to you."

"I'm going to bed. Maybe if I fall back asleep this nightmare will be over." Derek snapped as he made his way up the stairs, ignoring the protests from his father and Nora.

Derek was about to walk into his room when he remembered that it _wasn't_ his room. In this reality, Casey had his room. Just like she pretty much had his life.

_How did this happen? _Derek wondered as he stared at the purple door in front of him. Loud music was blaring from behind the door and he had to admit that the music wasn't that bad. _Casey listens to cool music?_

"Derek, what are you doing?"

Derek spun around at the familiar voice of his younger stepsister and his jaw dropped at the sight before him. She was wearing a very low cut red tank top, a black leather mini skirt, fish net stockings, high heels, and her face was covered in makeup. She was definitely not the fourteen-year-old girl he used to know. She looked like a... He didn't even want to say the word.

"Lizzie?" He sputtered out in disbelief.

"Uh... yeah..." She replied with her hands on her hips. "What is your problem?"

Derek shook his head as he closed his eyes and reopened them again, "W...what are you wearing?"

"Uh... clothes..." She rolled her eyes at him.

"You call those clothes, they're barely covering you!"

"Yeah, that's kind of the whole point. How else am I supposed to get Jamie to notice me?"

"Uh... I thought he already liked you...?"

"Are you kidding me?" Lizzie scoffed. "He hardly even notices I exist."

"Well showing off your body isn't the right way to get any guy's attention." Derek said as he slowly approached her. "So, please, go put on some clothes that actually cover you up."

"You can't tell me what to do!" Lizzie yelled at him.

"Do Casey and your mother know that you are dressed this way?"

"Casey is the one that told me to dress like this and my mom could really care less. She's too focussed on trying to please your father."

Derek was shocked, "What do you mean Casey told you to dress like this? Casey would kill you if she ever saw you like this."

"What is with all the shouting outside my door? I am trying to listen to music." Casey suddenly appeared from behind Derek with a very irritated look on her face.

"Derek is trying to get me to change my clothes." Lizzie glared at him as she spoke to her older sister.

Casey noticed Derek standing there and raised a brow, "Derek... I'm surprised with you. Skipping a whole day of school, telling the guidance councillor off, and then returning home just before dinner... And what gives you the right to tell _my_ sister what to do? I thought we had an agreement?"

"What agreement?"

"You Venturis stay out of our lives and we stay out of yours." Lizzie answered.

Derek rolled his eyes, "Are you serious? You're actually going to let your fourteen-year-old sister go out of the house dressed like a skank?"

"That's her problem, not mine." Casey shrugged.

Derek couldn't believe it. Could this Casey get any worse? Not caring about him was one thing... But not caring about her little sister was something else... The Casey he knew loved her younger sister and always wanted the best for her. She would never let Lizzie dress inappropriately or act the way this Lizzie was behaving. She really _was_ evil.

"Yeah, well it should be your problem." Derek glared at Casey. "She's your little sister."

Casey took a threatening step towards him with menacing eyes glowering at him, "I don't know what has gotten into you today but you better snap out of it or you _will_ regret it."

Derek turned away from her and addressed Lizzie with a serious expression, "Your sister may not care about you but I do, so go change now."

Lizzie stood there for a moment and stared at Derek with a puzzled expression. Just when he thought she was going to argue with him some more she suddenly let out a huff of breath and walked back into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Derek let out a sigh of relief and was about to walk into his own bedroom when he felt a hand rest on his shoulder and turn him around.

"You know, you've got some nerve trying to tell my sister how to dress, considering you're in a complete new wardrobe as well." Casey scoffed as she looked him over with narrowed eyes. "A leather jacket? Are you serious?"

"This is how I always dress... at least where I used to live..." He added as an after thought. "So you better just get used to it." And with that, Derek turned around and walked into his bedroom closing the door in Casey's stunned face.

# # #

"Dinner is ready!" Derek heard Nora's voice call from downstairs while he was pacing the bedroom that wasn't his. He stopped and let out a frustrated sigh as he opened the door and caught sight of his brother coming down from the attic.

"Hey, Ed, tell Dad I'm not coming down for dinner."

Edwin eyed his older brother with a look of concern, "You feeling alright, bro? I heard you skipped a whole day of school today... and... what are you wearing?"

Derek groaned with irritation, "Look, just do as I say, ok?"

Edwin seemed taken aback by his brother's tone of voice, "Derek, seriously... What is wrong with you today? You haven't been yourself... And since when do you think you can order me around like a dog?"

"I always order you around. It's how our relationship works."

Before Edwin could open his mouth to say something, George's voice hollered up the stairs this time.

"Kids, dinner, now!"

"Could you just tell him for me?" Derek looked at his brother with desperation.

Edwin sighed, "Fine. But I am only doing this once."

"Atta boy!" Derek smirked as he ruffled his brother's hair.

"I doubt Dad will be very pleased with this though. You've already angered him enough with the school thing today." Edwin replied as he swatted Derek's hand away and headed towards the stairs.

Derek made his way back into the bedroom and closed the door. He sat down on the edge of the bed and let his head fall into his hands as he leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees.

"What am I supposed to do?" He questioned out loud. "I have to admit, I want my life back to the way it was. I actually miss it."

There was a sudden knock on the bedroom door that startled Derek from his thoughts and made him jump up from the bed in surprise.

"Derek, I need to speak with you." His father's voice spoke from out in the hallway.

"Ok... Come in then." Derek replied as he sat back down on the bed and leaned against the head rest like he usually did when his father needed to speak with him. "What's up?" He tried to act natural as George entered the room and stood over him with a frown.

"Why aren't you coming down for dinner?" His father asked.

"I'm not that hungry." Derek shrugged casually. "I already ate at the mall."

"You know... I expect this kind of behaviour from your stepsister, but not from you. So what gives?" George asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed and stared at his son in confusion.

"Well that sentence for one."

George rolled his eyes, "Why? Did I use improper grammar or something?"

"Uh... How would I know?"

"Because you enjoy correcting everybody's poor grammar, Derek. Now seriously what is wrong with you today?"

"Well... _that_ sentence was definitely what is wrong with me as well, and trust me it wasn't the grammar mistakes that I was talking about."

George looked lost, "Huh?"

Derek sighed, "This isn't my life. Some how when I woke up this morning, I ended up in some alternate reality or something weird like that..."

"Is that a quote from a book or a TV show that I don't know about?"

"What?" Derek groaned as he pulled at his hair. "Never mind. Just forget it. I tried to explain it to Casey but she didn't even believe me."

George's eyes narrowed, "Derek, did Casey do something to you today? Is that why you've been acting so strange? What did she do this time?"

"Well besides _not _being Casey..."

George shook his head as he stood up and called out Derek's door, "Nora! Casey! Can you come up here for a sec?"

"Dad, what are you doing?" Derek widened his eyes. "Why are you calling them up here?"

"George, what is going on? The kids are waiting to eat." Nora said as she walked into Derek's room with Casey right behind her.

"Is Derek being a drama queen again?" Casey asked with a smirk as she glared his way.

George ignored his stepdaughter's comment as he looked at his wife with a frown, "It seems that Casey did something to Derek today and that is why he is acting so strangely."

"Casey, is this true?" Nora glared at her daughter.

Casey narrowed her eyes viciously at Derek, "You're blaming me for your freakish ways? Are you serious?"

Derek held up his hands in surrender, "No... You've got it all wrong."

"All I did was play a stupid little prank on him this morning. He was already acting weirder than normal before I even spoke to him." Casey explained as she folded her arms across her chest.

"Derek, son, is this true?" George turned concerned eyes towards him again.

"Ok... seriously... I just want to wake up from this nightmare already. Please?" Derek begged as he looked up at the ceiling.

"See! You can't blame this on me! Just admit it, George; your son is messed up." Casey spoke to her stepfather as they all stared at Derek in bewilderment. "He thinks he's from some alternate reality or something where he's actually considered popular and I like school." She scoffed.

"But it's the truth! It's either that or I really am just dreaming this all..."

"Derek, I suggest you go right to bed after dinner. It seems you're not getting enough rest." Nora smiled sympathetically.

"But I..."

"Nora is right," George agreed with a nod of his head. "We don't care if you have homework or some other extra credit assignment to do tonight. I am sure your teachers would agree that you work yourself too hard. You look worn out, Son."

"Excuse me?" Casey cried incredulous. "He skipped a _whole _day of school to go to the mall and you're telling him he doesn't have to do his homework and can go straight to bed after supper! That is so not fair!"

"Casey, be a little more sympathetic towards your brother." Nora scolded.

"He is _not _my brother!" Casey shouted as she glared at Derek one last time before storming out of his room.

"Just ignore her, Derek. She really does care deep down." Nora said as she followed her daughter into the hall and down the stairs.

"I'm sure she does..." Derek mumbled sarcastically.

George placed a hand on Derek's shoulder as he spoke, "Come down and at least try to eat, and then you can go to sleep. Ok?"

Derek nodded with a sigh and then walked with his father down to the dinner table.

# # #

During dinner, Derek could feel Casey's eyes on him the whole time. She wanted to kill him. He was sure of it. He had to admit that this new Casey scared the crap out of him. She was way worse than he had ever been. This Casey was a nightmare.

"Oh, by the way, I'm going out with Max tonight." Casey's voice broke through his thoughts as Derek looked up to see her finally looking at her mother and not at him.

"Casey, you know the rules. No dates on a school night." Nora shook her head.

"But, Mom, it's with Max. You know he's a good guy and I'll be back before curfew." Casey reasoned with pleading eyes.

"Since when are you and Max dating again?" Derek spoke up. "I thought you were dating Truman?"

Casey's eyes widened in horror as she looked at Derek.

"Truman?" Nora frowned. "I told you never to speak to him again."

"And I haven't!" Casey raised her voice with slight panic. "I have no idea what delusions Derek is talking about." She shot Derek an evil look that he interpreted as: _shut your mouth or I will stab you in your sleep. _

"Derek, do you know something we don't?" George asked.

"Uhh..." Derek knew he should've kept his mouth shut. He glanced at Casey whose eyes suddenly turned from murderous to desperately pleading. He had no idea what she was hiding but he knew that if he wanted to get on this Casey's good side and not have her chop him up into pieces and bury him in the backyard, he needed to say something fast. "I... uh... was kidding." Derek chuckled nervously. "I don't know anything."

Nora let out a breath that she was holding and looked at her eldest daughter, "You know I don't trust Truman, Casey, so you better not be lying to me and seeing that boy behind my back."

Casey was staring at Derek in shock as she slowly turned her attention to her mother and nodded, "Of course not, Mom. I would never do that. I told you, I'm dating Max."

"Then I guess you can go out tonight. But promise me you will be back by ten."

"I promise." Casey smiled as she pushed her half empty plate aside and stood up from the table. "Thanks, Mom. I'm going to go get ready now." She said and then headed up the stairs.

Derek pushed his plate of food away from him as well and stood up from the table, "Sorry, I just don't feel that hungry. I'm going to go upstairs now too." He said to his father and made his way up the stairs as well.

As Derek was walking past Casey's bedroom, two hands suddenly shot out and grabbed him by the shirt collar, forcing him into the room.

"How do you know about Truman, you Freak?" Casey snarled in his face as she closed the door and shoved him against the wall.

"Whoa, Xena, calm down." Derek said with a grin as he looked into her fiery blue eyes.

_Is it wrong that I've always found forceful Casey to be such a turn on? _Derek asked himself. _Yes! Don't even think such things! _He chided himself.

"What did you just call me?" Casey glared at him.

"You know... _Xena_, the warrior princess...?"

Casey rolled her eyes as she shoved him even harder, "Tell me how you know about Truman!"

"Let me guess..." Derek's grin widened. "You're pretending to date Max, so that your mother won't know you're really dating bad boy Frenchie?"

"How do you know that?"

"It is true then?"

Casey's eyes narrowed, "If you knew about Truman then how come you didn't rat me out to my mother downstairs just now?"

Derek shrugged, "Because I wasn't sure it was true until now."

Casey shoved him harder and was mere inches from his face, "Listen, you weasel, if you think you can use this to blackmail me, you're wrong."

"The thought had never crossed my mind." Derek replied. He could smell a vanilla scent coming from her and he almost smiled, relieved that she at least smelt the same as the other Casey. _Not that I enjoy the way my stepsister smells on a daily basis... _Derek corrected himself.

"Then what do you want?"

"Honestly... I just want my life back."

Casey rolled her eyes as she loosened her grip on him, "Are you seriously going on about that again?"

"Let me prove that I'm telling the truth."

"Excuse me?"

"I can prove to you that I am not the Derek from this life."

Casey let go of him and took a step back with a mock grin on her face, "And how exactly do you expect to prove the impossible?"

Derek straightened his collar as he moved away from the wall, "You know nothing about the Derek you live with, right?"

"I wouldn't say _nothing_."

"But you two hardly ever talk unless it's about a prank you just pulled on him, right?"

"Why do you insist on referring to yourself in third person? It's really annoying."

"Just answer the question, Casey."

Casey sighed with irritation, "Yes, that is correct."

"So then I'm guessing he doesn't know much about you...?"

Casey glared at him, "Obviously _you_ know more than I thought."

Derek shook his head, "The only reason I found out about Truman was because I knew you were dating him in the reality I came from and that you had broken up with Max a year ago. I was just asking a question because I keep forgetting some things are different here than there."

"And does my mother know that I am dating Truman in the other "_reality" _as you put it." She air quoted the word reality.

Derek nodded.

"And she's okay with that?" She looked at him like he was nuts.

"Yeah... At first she was hesitant... but she knew she could trust you."

"My mother trusts me?" Casey frowned as she dropped her gaze to the floor.

"Well... in that reality she does. Casey and her mother are actually really close."

Casey suddenly looked up at him with a burning gaze, "Do you think this is funny?"

"W... what?" Derek was caught off guard by her sudden mood change.

"I want you out of my room now! You and your stupid stories!" Casey shouted as she pointed to her door.

"But, Case..."

"Get out!"

Derek was beyond confused. He thought he was finally getting through to her.

"I have a date to get ready for, now leave!"

Derek opened the door to her room and stepped out before she threw him out.

"And if you even think about telling my mom that I am dating Truman, I will castrate you in your sleep." Casey whispered to him before slamming the door in his face.

# # #

_Knock Knock._

Derek looked up at the sound of knocking on his door. He'd been standing by his shelf reading all the awards and trophies on display that the other Derek had won.

"Who is it?" He called out with a frown.

He felt lost in this world. Nothing made any sense to him. How did he get here? Why was he here? Was he ever going to get back to where he originally came from? Where exactly was the other Derek? And why was this Casey so evil?

"Hey, D, it's me. Can I come in?" Edwin's voice asked from behind the door.

Derek sighed, "Yeah, what is it, Ed?"

His brother opened the door and walked inside with a look of concern on his face, "Um... So... How are you doing?" He asked as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Did I seriously win all of these?" Derek asked, motioning towards the awards.

"Yeah..." Edwin answered as he took a seat on Derek's bed. "Uh... Dad told me you weren't feeling so great today... Anything you want to talk about?"

Derek turned to look at his brother in amusement, "With you?"

"Yeah... It's kind of our thing... We always talk about our problems with each other."

"Seriously?"

Edwin looked up at him with apprehension, "Derek... What is going on with you? Do you have amnesia or something? Ever since this morning you have been acting very strange..."

Derek shook his head, "I don't have amnesia."

"Then what is it because you're starting to freak me out?"

Derek sat down on the edge of the bed next to his brother and turned to look at him, "I'm sorry, Ed... but if I told you... it would only freak you out more..."

Edwin frowned, "So then you're not going to tell me?"

"This is something I need to figure out on my own."

Edwin nodded, "I understand... sort of... but if you need to talk, you know I'm always here for you, bro." He smiled.

Derek chuckled, "I cannot believe how lame we are here."

"What?"

"Never mind." Derek shook his head.

"Max is here, Mom! Don't wait up for me!" Casey's voice shouted from out in the hall. Derek could hear her running down the stairs and leaving the house.

"I'm surprised she's still dating that Max guy." Edwin spoke.

"How come?"

"Well... he just doesn't seem Casey's type..."

"Max?" Derek laughed. "What girl wouldn't want to date the Captain of the football team?"

Edwin gave Derek a quizzical look, "Don't you mean Captain of the _Chess_ team?"

"Huh?"

"Are we talking about the same Max here?"

"Max Miller?"

Edwin nodded, "Yeah, Max Miller... He's the Captain of the chess team... I think Casey's only dating him as a cover up... She doesn't want Nora to know what kind of guys she's really into."

Derek ruffled his brother's hair, "You're still pretty observant. Please tell me you are into snooping as well?"

"Only if I don't get caught."

Derek grinned, "Music to my ears, dear brother."

Edwin looked even more confused now as he stared at his older brother, "Wait a minute... Now I am really concerned... Are you actually ok with me snooping?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Derek shrugged.

"Because you're completely against it... You told me yourself just a few weeks ago that snooping was not nice and that I shouldn't be prying into other people's business."

Derek's jaw dropped, "I'm even more of a geek than I thought!"

"Ok..."Edwin shook his head in bewilderment. "So... What exactly do you want me to snoop about?"

"Casey of course." Derek grinned.

"Are you kidding me?" Edwin shouted as he stood up with a terrified expression on his face. "You better get writing my eulogy now if that's what you want me to do!"

"I just need to know where she's going on her date tonight..."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to follow her."

"_Why_?"

"That's none of your business. Will you help me out or not?"

"I don't know... I've never done anything so risky... What if I get caught?"

"Casey's not even here."

"But Lizzie is and she'll kill me if she finds out what I'm doing."

"You and Liz are chums. She wouldn't hurt you."

"Now you've really lost your mind!" Edwin shouted with wide eyes. "Lizzie and I have never been _chums_ or friends or anything! I've tried to be nice to her but because of Casey's rule, Lizzie won't even say a simple good morning if the 'rents aren't around. Last week she kicked a soccer ball at my head and laughed about it."

"I'm sure she can't be as bad as her sister... Lizzie's always been the cooler one."

"She may not be out to ruin my life like Casey is for you, but she still doesn't want anything to do with me."

"Maybe I can talk to her... I got her to change out of revealing clothes earlier..."

"I don't know, D... To be honest, the McDonald girls scare me... They have for three years now..."

"Well it's about time you started acting like a man and sticking up for yourself, Ed." Derek announced as he slapped his brother on the back.

"But..."

"No buts. It seems that these McDonald girls need a little lesson taught to them."

"What are you planning on doing?"

"I've got some ideas..." Derek grinned wickedly as he stroked his chin.

"You know... I kind of like the new, strange you." Edwin smiled.

"Thanks, now go get snooping. I need to know where she went ASAP."

"You got it!" Edwin said as he jumped up from the bed and hurried out of Derek's bedroom.

_I really hope this works... or else I am stuck in this hell hole with the devil herself..._

* * *

**I will try my hardest to update the next one as soon as I can but I will be helping at a Day Camp at my church next week, so I'll be really busy during the day... I also just started writing another LWD fanfiction recently and I'm really liking it so far. I was inspired by a certain show I recently got into. Hopefully I can start posting that story on here as well once I figure out where I'm going with it... It's going to be a little more different than my other Derek/Casey stories... But right now I will try to focus on finishing this story.**

**Thanks for reading and I hope to get more Awesome reviews from you.  
**


	3. MY Casey

**Wow... It's been a very long time and I am so sorry for that. A busy life and Writers block are not Fun! Thank you for the suggestions. Great minds must think alike because I had actually already been considering all of those ideas for the story but I just wasn't sure how to write them in... I finally forced myself to sit down and finish chapter 3. I hope it's good... **

**Another idea that I was thinking of going with for this story, that someone actually suggested as well, was doing a couple chapters with Alternate Derek interacting with Our Casey in the other world... So it's pretty much like the Dereks switched places... Let me know if you would like that or not and I'll start coming up with some ideas... Hopefully I'll figure out where exactly I'm going with this story soon... Haha! But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy chapter 3. :)**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**MY Casey**

Edwin had accessed Casey's computer password which surprisingly was _Down With Derek_ and found out that Truman was taking her to a party in Toronto. It didn't say the address though so Derek had to go to the other source, Lizzie, hoping that she and Casey still had somewhat of a close relationship.

"Hey, Lizzie!" Derek smiled as he approached his younger stepsister in the kitchen.

"Hey." She replied barely acknowledging him as she made a turkey sandwich.

_She's at least dressed more appropriately. _Derek thought as he pretended to look inside the fridge for something to eat.

"So... What are you doing tonight?" Derek asked casually as he pulled out a can of Rootbeer.

"Probably nothing since Jamie decided he wanted to hang out with Michelle instead of me tonight. I owe it all to you, _big bro_." She snipped with sarcasm as she finished her sandwich and turned to glare at him.

Derek opened the can of pop and took a sip before speaking to her, "Look, Liz, Jamie is obviously not worth your time. You need a guy who will respect you for who you are."

_Wow... Am I actually giving a pep talk to someone? Oh no! Sensitive Derek is making a comeback!_

Lizzie gave him a strange look, "Derek... since when do you even give a care about me? And since when do _you_ drink pop?"

_The Derek from this world doesn't drink pop? _

Derek took another sip of his drink and shrugged, "You're my little sister. Why wouldn't I care about you? And who doesn't like pop?"

"_Marti_ is your little sister, Derek. And_ you_ don't like pop. You complain every time my mother buys it from the store because it has too much sugar and will rot your insides... blah blah blah..."

_Wow... that sounds like something _Casey_ would say..._

Derek shook his head, "Marti may be my blood sister but I still consider you a little sister as well and that means I care about you."

"And what about Casey?" She raised a brow.

"Um..." Derek didn't know what to say. To be honest he'd never really considered Casey a sister, even in his own reality. He wasn't sure what she was to him...

Lizzie sighed, "Casey told me you've been acting really strange lately. So what gives?"

"Can't a guy change?"

"Not when it involves peeing my sister off."

"When is this Casey not peed off?"

"_This_ Casey?"

"Uh... I meant Casey."

Lizzie rolled her eyes, "Derek... why are you talking to me?"

Derek sighed, "Look, Liz... I'm worried about her."

Lizzie's eyes widened, "Casey? Why?"

"Because... I know her secret and I just have a bad feeling about her going out tonight."

"Which secret?"

"There's more than one?"

"We are talking about my sister right?" She gave a pointed look with her hand on her hip.

"I guess so."

"Then which secret is it that you know?"

"Which one do _you_ think it is?" Derek smirked.

"Derek, I don't have time for your games, no matter how uncharacteristic they are of you... Just tell me why you suddenly care about Casey." Lizzie replied with impatience.

"I have a bad feeling about her dating Truman."

_Especially if he's anything like the Truman back home.  
_"Oh... That secret..." Lizzie's eyes lit up with interest as she placed her hands on the island and stared at him. "I don't get you, Derek. Casey is nothing but a bi..." Lizzie stopped mid-sentence and rephrased her choice of words. "A _witch_ to you and yet here you are worried about the guy she is going out with... Why?"

_Did Lizzie almost swear?_

"Because like I said... A guy can change..."

"There's got to be more to it than that. I can see that you have changed but I still don't trust you..."

"You can trust me, Liz."

Lizzie shook her head in annoyance, "And seriously, since when did we become all chummy and you thought you could call me Liz?"

"I've always called you that... Haven't I?"

"No, so please stop it because it's kind of creeping me out."

Derek held up his hands, "Whatever you say. Just tell me where your sister is and you can get on with whatever you were doing."

Lizzie folded her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes at him, "How do I know that this isn't some kind of plot to get revenge on Casey for all the nasty things she's done to you over the years?"

"You don't."

"Then why should I tell you where she is?"

"Because I know you care about your sister and don't want to see her hurt."

"Casey would kill me if she knew I was even talking to you right now. You do know that right?"

Derek sighed, "Lizzie, please?"

Lizzie didn't say anything as she picked up her sandwich and took a bite of it. After she finished chewing and took a sip of water, she looked back up at him in reluctance.

"If I do this... You have to promise not to tell Casey."

"Deal." Derek nodded.

Lizzie pulled out a small sheet of paper from her jeans pocket and handed it to him. "That's the address. She gave it to me in case of emergency."

Derek grinned at his younger stepsister as he took the paper from her and quickly read it over, "Thanks, Liz! I knew you were still cool!"

"Whatever..."

Derek stopped before he ran out of the kitchen, "Oh and one more thing!"

Lizzie looked back at him with a roll of her eyes.

"Lay off of Ed. If you give the guy a chance I'm sure you two will make good friends."

Then Derek was gone, out the garage door and into The Prince as he put the car in drive and sped out onto the highway.

# # #

Casey McDonald smiled as her boyfriend, Truman French, parked his car in front of the house where the party was supposed to be at and turned off the ignition.

"You ready to get your freak on?" He grinned her way.

"I'm ready to party if that's what you mean."

"And you're sure that the chess geek will keep his mouth shut about this?"

"Considering I paid him most of my younger stepbrother's allowance, I'd say so."

"Great. Then let's go."

Truman placed his hand on her lower back as he led Casey inside the house where they were greeted by a bunch of Truman's old friends.

"This your date?" One of the guys asked as he looked Casey up and down with a lick of his lips.

"Yeah, so keep your hands off." Truman sneered as he pulled Casey tighter to his side and they continued on through the house.

No matter how much she tried, Casey could not get Derek out of her mind. She didn't understand what was going on with him lately. _The freak has never stood up to me the way he has been doing all day._ And she hated to admit it but his new bad boy image was kind of a turn on. _Who knew he could look so good in a leather jacket?_ _But all the talk about some other reality is really disturbing..._ _He almost had me convinced until he started talking about my mother. What a jerk!_ _He knows that I don't get along well with my mother!_ _It actually hurt when he said that the me from his reality is practically best friends with her mom._

"Hey, Casey, I'm going to get us some drinks and then we can hit the dance floor." Truman interrupted her thoughts as he pecked her on the lips and made his way towards the kitchen.

_Stop thinking about your Freak of a Stepbrother! _Casey chided herself as she looked around at her surroundings to see if she recognized anyone.

"Casey!" A voice squealed to her right.

Casey turned to see her cousin, Victoria, standing there with a drink in her hand and an amused grin on her face.

"Vicky! What are you doing here?" Casey smiled as she hugged her cousin.

"I never miss a good party." Vicky replied as she took a sip of her drink. She then gave Casey a suspicious smirk. "What are you doing here? I thought your mother didn't allow for you to attend parties on weekdays?"

"She doesn't know I'm here." Casey shrugged.

"Really?" Her grin widened. "And how may ask did you hear about a party in Toronto from your little home in London?"

"My boyfriend knows the people that are throwing it."

"Boyfriend huh? Do you mean that geeky looking guy that your mother sent us pictures of? What's his name Maz...?"

"It's Max and no. He's not really my boyfriend."

"Then who is?"

Casey was just about to open her mouth when Truman approached them with two drinks in his hands, "I got you a beer." He said as he handed one of the drinks to Casey.

Victoria's eyes lit up as she saw who Casey's boyfriend was, "Truman French?"

Truman looked at her with an equally surprised look, "Vicky?"

"It's Victoria now." She smiled with a bat of her eyelashes. She then looked at Casey. "Don't tell me Truman is your new beu?"

"Yes he is. How do you two know each other?"

"We have history." Vicky smirked. "Isn't that right, Truman?"

Truman smirked back, "If you can call making out a few times in grade nine history..."

"From what I recall we did more than just make out a few times over the years." Vicky grinned seductively as she licked her lips and giggled.

Usually she and Vicky got along and were close friends but the way she was openly flirting with her boyfriend was really making her jealous. Casey glared at her cousin as she took her boyfriend's hand in hers and began to lead him away, "I'm sorry, Vicky, but Truman promised we could dance." She said as she pulled Truman towards the dance floor.

_Who does that slut think she is? _Casey thought as she wrapped her hands around Truman's neck and he placed his hands on her waist. _Flirting with my boyfriend right in front of me! The nerve! If she comes anywhere near Truman again, I'll teach her not to mess with me. _Casey grinned as she danced to the music playing in the background.

"You should drink some of the beer I got you, Casey." Truman said as he moved his body against hers while a fast beat song continued to play.

"I'm sorry, I must have set it down somewhere when we started to dance." Casey apologized as she tried to make a little space between their bodies.

"How about I get you another one then?"

"That's alright. I'm not really in the mood for alcohol tonight anyway."

Truman pulled her flush against his body and started kissing her neck, "It'll make you feel good, baby. Trust me."

"I can see you've already been drinking some."

"But of course. That's what a party is all about." He laughed as he moved to kiss her mouth.

Casey obliged to his kiss but pulled away when he tried to stick his tongue down her throat, "Can't a girl have fun without getting wasted?"

"Not my girl." He whispered in her ear as he nipped it and then took a step back. "I'll go get you another drink. You stay right here until I get back. Got it?"

Casey had a bad feeling in her stomach. She knew that if she went home tonight smelling of beer, her mother would become suspicious. She'd warned Casey about drinking underage. Casey of course didn't care to listen to her mother and went out drinking one time, which led to her mother finding out and grounding her for two months. And to be honest, Casey didn't really care for alcohol that much. The taste made her want to throw up, so she promised her mother that she wouldn't drink again as long as she was under the legal age.

"Here you go, Babe." Truman said as he appeared in front of her with two more cups in his hands.

"Um... thanks... but I told you I'm not in the mood to drink tonight."

"You seriously need to let loose a little more, Casey. I've seen that wild side of you, there's no denying its there."

"If we don't want my Mom to find out that I went to a party tonight with you, Truman, then we need to leave before midnight and I can't drink. She'll smell it on me, and not to mention that since you're pretty wasted right now, I'm probably going to have to drive us home."

"Just drink the beer, Casey." Truman snapped as he shoved the drink into her hand. "I think that nerdy brother of yours is starting to influence your mind."

"STEP-brother and he is not!"

"Then prove it to me, Baby. Drink the beer and don't worry about consequences like he would."

Casey could hear her conscience telling her it was a bad idea but she rarely listened to that inner voice in her head anyway, so she slowly tipped the cup to her mouth and chugged the drink down. She tried to hide her disgust from the taste as she glared back her at her boyfriend.

"Don't ever compare me to my lame Stepbrother again."

"That's my girl!" Truman whooped as he slung an arm around her waist and pulled her to his chest. "Trust me, you're nothing like that wimp." He said as he kissed her lips.

_Is it weird that I don't consider Derek much of wimp anymore now that he's stood up to me...?_ Casey thought as she kissed her boyfriend and then dragged him back to the dance floor. _Stop thinking about your crazy stepbrother and start enjoying yourself! _

# # #

Derek parked his car in front of a large white house that read the address Lizzie had given him. Loud music blared from inside as people littered the lawn and walked in and out of the front door.

_My Casey would never be caught at a place like this. _Derek sighed as he turned off the ignition and got out of the car, making sure to lock it behind him. _Whoa! Did I just say MY Casey? She is definitely not MY Casey! I just meant to say the Casey from my reality. _Derek corrected himself with a shake of the head as he approached the front door and knocked.

"Dude, just walk right in!" A guy with a backwards baseball cap shouted as he walked past with a drink in his hand.

Derek shrugged and opened the door to a room full of people dancing, laughing, drinking, making out, etc... It was a zoo. Even _he'd _never been to a party this crazy before.

Derek began scanning the crowd for any sign of his alternate stepsister but there were too many people. He began to make his way further into the crowd when he was suddenly grabbed from behind and pulled onto the dance floor by some girl.

"Hey, handsome," the girl slurred as she placed her hands on his hips and began grinding against him, "wanna dance?"

"Uh... Sorry... but I have to find someone right now." Derek said as he pulled away from her.

"Who er you lookin for?"

"Her name is Casey McDonald."

"If that's who yer lookin for then I'll be Stacey McDonnell for ya." The girl grinned with a wink as she grabbed him around the waist again."

"It's _Casey McDonald_ and you're not her." Derek scowled as he pulled away from her yet again and hurriedly made his escape.

_Hmm... Lizzie said that Truman invited Casey here, so he obviously knows some of the people. If I ask where Truman is, they are bound to know his name more than Casey's. _Derek thought as he approached a group of guys shoving each other and joking around.

"Hey, uh... Do any of you know Truman French?" Derek asked.

"What's it to you?" One of the guys snarled at him.

"I need to find him. It's important." Derek stood his ground.

"Isn't Truman the guy that vandalized the Principal's car last year?" One of the guys spoke up with a chuckle.

"Oh yeah!" Another guy laughed. "He smashed all the windows and the front end with a baseball bat because the Principal suspended him for drinking on school property."

"He was expelled and had to spend a month in juvie for his actions."

Derek's eyes widened. _This Truman is way worse than the other Truman!_

"Is that the guy you're looking for?" The first guy asked Derek.

"Unfortunately." Derek nodded. "You know where he is?"

"Beats me." He shrugged. "I didn't even know the guy was here."

All the other guys shook their heads as well.

"Thanks anyway." Derek sighed as he continued his search throughout the house.

"Derek?" Derek cringed at the familiar voice that spoke from behind him.

"Victoria." He put on a fake smile as he turned to greet Casey's cousin.

"What are you doing here? I thought nerds didn't party?" She grinned.

_Vicky seems the same in this reality... Strange... _

"I'm looking for Casey. Have you seen her?"

"Why would I tell you? You're probably just going to tattle on my cousin if I do."

"Why would that matter to you? Don't you and Casey hate each other?"

"I don't hate Casey. I'm a little jealous of how popular she is but we've always been close friends."

Derek's jaw dropped, "You and Casey... close friends...?"

Vicky took a step closer to him and eyed him up and down, "You know... there's something really different about you... And what's up with the jacket?"

Derek shrugged, "Can you just tell me where Casey is?"

Vicky smiled seductively at him as she trailed a finger along his chest, "I like this new look on you. It's rather... sexy."

Derek tried to back away from her. Yes, he'd made out with Vicky before but that was a one time thing. He preferred the sweet girls anyway.

"Look, Vicky, I don't have time for this. I need to find Casey."

"It's Victoria, Derek, and why do you care so much about Casey anyway? I thought you two were like sworn enemies or something...?" She said as she took another step towards him.

"It's complicated..."

"Besides, she's probably too busy with Truman at the moment anyway. I saw him leading her up the stairs a few minutes ago."

Derek's eyes bulged, "What?"

"I still can't believe she's dating him. I had to dump that guy in the tenth grade because he was coming on too strong. He... Hey! Where are you going?" Vicky shouted as Derek made a mad dash towards the stairs leading to the second level.

Derek raced up the stairs three at a time. He hoped he wasn't too late as he barged into the first door on his right and flicked on the light.

"Hey!" A guy and girl, not Casey and Truman, shouted in unison as they sat on the bed making out, fully clothed.

"Uh... sorry... wrong room." Derek said as he backed out with a red face.

He tried the next door on the left but it was locked.

"Occupied!" A girl's voice called out.

"Casey?" Derek called.

"No, my name is Miranda and I am trying to pee, so will you please wait your turn?"

"Oh. I'm guessing this is the bathroom..."

"Duh! Why else would I say I'm peeing, you freak?"

"Sorry."

Derek turned down the hall to find two more rooms. He walked into the one on the left and flicked on the light to see Casey passed out on the bed with her shirt undone, exposing her black bra and Truman standing over her with a malicious grin.

"Dude, get your own room!" Truman shouted as he turned to glare at Derek.

"What did you do to her?" Derek yelled as he pushed past Truman and knelt beside Casey's sleeping form.

"That's none of your business! Get out of here!"

Derek felt her head; she had a fever.

"Hey, aren't you her brother, Darren?" Truman asked with a cocked brow.

"Actually it's Derek and I'm her STEP-brother." Derek growled as he stood to full height and glared at Truman. "Now tell me what happened! What did you do to her?"

"That's none of your business! Now get out of here before I make you get out."

Derek ignored Truman's threat as he knelt down beside Casey again and tried to wake her up.

"Hey, dork; did you hear what I just said?" Truman snapped as he grabbed Derek by the arm with a forceful grip.

Derek shook him off with a snarl and turned back to Alternate Casey, "Case... Casey... wake up..."

Casey's eyes began to flutter as she let out a groan, "Huh? Truman?"

"No, it's Derek. What happened?"

"Derek?" Her eyes flew open and she stared up at him in confusion. "Wh... Where's Truman?"

"I'm right here, Baby!" Truman said as he shoved Derek aside.

Derek suddenly grabbed Truman by the scruff of his collar and pulled him close with a scowl, "Don't touch her! I knew Truman was scum but you're even worse!"

"What are you talking about, you Freak? I am Truman!" Truman snapped as he struggled to get free of Derek's hold.

"Derek... What... What are you doing here?" Casey asked as she tried to sit up but to no avail. As she fell back on the bed, she clutched her head and let out a pain filled groan. "Why is my head hurting so much?"

"Casey, how much did you drink tonight?" Derek asked as he still held Truman with a tight grip.

"I... I don't know..." Her eyes lit up in horror. "My mom is going to kill me if I come home like this!"

Derek was surprised. It was almost like he was back home again and this was _his_ Casey going into panic mode.

"What did you do to her?" Derek glared back at Truman.

"Who do you think you are, Venturi? Since when do you think you're all tough and intimidating? You don't scare me, so let me go!"

"I'm not the Derek you think I am." Derek grinned as he let go of Truman and Truman stumbled back.

Once Truman regained his balance, he took a step towards Derek and swung his fist. Derek dodged it, however, and instead sent his own fist flying right into Truman's gut. Truman cried out in pain and clutched his stomach as he fell to the floor.

"Don't you ever touch her again." Derek seethed over Truman's figure.

To say Casey was shocked was an understatement. She was completely and utterly astonished by what Derek had just done to her boyfriend. _Am I dreaming or hallucinating or something...? _She wondered as she watched Truman groan in agony on the floor and Derek race back to her side.

"Case... Can you move?" Derek asked as he knelt on the bed beside her.

Casey looked up at him with wide eyes, "You... you just punched Truman..."

"Yeah, well he deserved it." Derek answered bitterly as he took off his leather jacket and draped it over her shoulders. "Now put this on and let me help you stand."

Casey pulled away from him with a shriek, "No way! What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm taking you home."

"I'm not going anywhere with you. I don't even know who you are!"

"I'm Derek, your stepbrother."

Casey shook her head, "No you're not! Derek would never have the guts to stand up to Truman like that."

Derek sighed, "Casey, please just come with me and I'll explain everything to you later."

Casey gasped as realization suddenly hit her, "You really are from an alternate reality... Aren't you?"

"Like I said, I'll explain everything later. Right now I need to get you home before your mother finds out where you've been." Derek said as he grabbed her under the arms and lifted her to her feet.

Casey's head felt like it was on fire as she let out another groan, "Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?"

Derek wrapped an arm around her waist as she slumped sleepily against him.

"I've been nothing but horrible to you. Why don't you just leave me and let me get in trouble?"

"Because..." Derek grunted as he tried to make her walk straight. "Even though you're not the same as the Casey where I come from, you're still Casey nonetheless and I can't help but care about her."

"You care about me?" Casey smiled lazily as she once again slumped against him.

"Ok, Case, I need your help here if we're ever going to make it to my car." Derek said as he struggled to keep her standing.

"But I feel so tired. I just want to sleep. Sleep will make the pain go away." Casey complained.

"Look, Casey, I think Truman slipped some kind of drug into your drink... I know it's hard but you need to try to stay awake until I get you into my car so that we can drive home."

Casey tried to stand up straight but her knees started buckling underneath her. All she could remember before she blacked out was being picked up into someone's strong arms and being carried out the room.

# # #

"Derek, what happened to my sister?" Lizzie exclaimed as Derek opened the door to his car and she saw Casey passed out on the back seat.

"I'm pretty sure Truman drugged her. I barged in just before he could do anything to her, thank goodness." Derek sighed with relief. "So can you help me or what?"

Lizzie stared at him like he'd grown another head, "You... you saved Casey?"

Derek shrugged, "She may be a beast most of the time but that doesn't mean she deserves to be taken advantage of."

"But... how did you get her out?"

"I carried her... right after I punched her boyfriend in the gut." Derek replied nonchalantly.

"Ok... Seriously... WHO ARE YOU?" Lizzie shouted.

"Sshhh!" Derek cried as he covered her mouth. "We can't let the 'rents know we're out here. They'll kill Casey if they find out what happened."

"So what do you expect me to do?" Lizzie asked once Derek let her go.

"Can you distract them while I get Casey upstairs?"

"And what's in it for me if I do?" She asked with her hands on her hips.

Derek couldn't believe she'd just said that.

"You expect to get something for helping your sister?"

"Of course. You didn't think I'd do this for free did you?"

Derek shook his head in disbelief. _I never realized how much of an example Casey is to her younger sister. No wonder she's always worried about my influence on the kids... This Casey is no example at all._

"Don't you want to help me just because she's your sister and you don't want to see her in trouble?"

Lizzie snorted, "Are you serious? She may be my sister but if the tables were turned and there was a chance that I could be grounded for life, she'd rat me out in an instant."

Derek let out a groan, "Whatever. I'll give you ten bucks if you go distract your mom and my dad while I get Casey upstairs and into bed."

Lizzie grinned, "Make it twenty and we've got a deal."

"Fine! Just go!" Derek snapped as he began to lift Casey out of the car.

Derek tried to wake Casey up but she was out cold, so he had no choice but to pick her up in his arms, once again, and carry her inside the house.

"Whoa, D, what happened?" Edwin asked as he appeared from atop the stairs.

"Ed! I need your help! Grab her legs!" Derek whispered as he hurried to the bottom of the stairs, making sure their parents were no where in sight.

"You actually found her?" Edwin whispered as he did what Derek said and grabbed Casey's legs while Derek held her under the arms. "What happened to her?"

"She was drugged. We need to hurry and get her to her room before Nora finds out. Lizzie's downstairs distracting them as we speak."

"Who did this to her?"

"Truman of course. I always knew he was a creep. He's even creepier in this reality."

"What?" Edwin gave him a strange look.

"Never mind." Derek shook his head with a grunt as they reached the top of the stairs and turned down the hallway towards the bedrooms.

"Ok, I'll take her while you open the door." Derek said as he held Casey bridal style once again.

Edwin nodded as he opened Casey's bedroom door and Derek walked inside. He laid Casey down on the bed and let out a sigh as he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.

"Now are you going to tell me what happened?" Edwin asked.

"Supposedly Derek punched Truman and saved my sister from be taken advantage of." Lizzie said as she appeared in the doorway, making Edwin jump.

"Did the 'rents suspect anything?" Derek asked as he looked at Lizzie.

"No. I told them that Casey was home and that she was so tired that she went straight to bed."

"And they bought that?" Edwin arched his brow.

"Of course they did. My mom wanted to check on her but I assured her that Casey was fine and that Max said hi."

"Thanks, Liz." Derek smiled.

"Ahem!" Lizzie cleared her throat as she held out her hand.

Derek rolled his eyes as he pulled out his wallet and handed her a twenty dollar bill.

"No, thank _you_, Derek." She grinned as she took the money and put it in her pocket. Her grin then changed to a look of concern as she turned to Casey's sleeping form on the bed. "She _is_ going to be alright, isn't she?"

"I thought you didn't care?"

"I don't care if she gets in trouble but I do care if she never wakes up again."

"I'm sure by the morning she'll be back to her normal self." Derek tried to assure the concerned fifteen-year-old.

"Then you know she's probably going to kill you tomorrow, right?"

"Hopefully I won't even be here tomorrow..." Derek mumbled under his breath as he prayed to God that he would wake up and this would all be a terrible dream.

* * *

**Sigh. I have no idea if I like it or not... Please let me know your opinion because that would help a lot. And thanks for all the Reviews. I'm glad you guys have enjoyed the story so far and I promise next time I will wait before uploading a story that I don't have an exact plan for even if I'm excited. Haha! You guys are Awesome!**


	4. Studies Before Girls

**Finally Another Chapter! So some of you said that you would like to see a chapter based on Casey and the alternate Derek in the real world, so I decided to write one. Let me know what you think and if you would like me to continue with this idea as well... And don't worry I will get back to Derek in the Alternate reality with the evil Casey right away! I hope you like this... And thanks for all the reviews! Oh and it's in Casey's POV because I thought that would be more fun.**

* * *

**The Other Reality**

**Studies Before Girls**

"Aaahhh!"

Casey McDonald's eyes shot open. She was startled out of her sleep by someone yelling in the bedroom next to hers. _Derek? _She pulled off the covers and ran out of her bedroom door, concerned for her stepbrother even though she was still angry with him for dying her hair purple.

"Derek, what's wrong? Is someone hurting you? Are you sick? Is there a burglar in the house?" Casey asked with a high pitched voice as she barged into Derek's room.

Derek jumped up from the bed with a yelp and ran to the other side of the room, "Where am I? What is going on?" He shouted as he hid his face behind his hands.

Casey took a step towards him, "Derek? Are you alright?"

"Don't come near me!" Derek replied with fear in his eyes. "I'm having a nightmare... That's all this is..."

"Um... Do you want me to get George for you?" Casey raised a brow in confusion.

_What is wrong with him? He is acting very strange..._

"Wake up... Wake up... Wake up..." He repeated to himself in a mantra as he rocked back and forth.

"Ok... Derek... This better not be another one of your stupid pranks because I still haven't forgiven you for dying my hair." Casey glared at him with her hands on her hips.

Derek started laughing, "_Me _prank _you_! I really am dreaming!"

"What's going on in here?" Lizzie appeared behind Casey in the doorway.

"I honestly don't know... Derek's having some kind of freak out..."

"I am not a freak!" Derek shouted. "I hate it when you call me that!"

"When have you ever called him a freak?" Lizzie asked with questioning eyes.

Casey shrugged, "I have no idea..."

"Hey, D, are you feeling alright?" Edwin asked as he appeared in the doorway beside Lizzie.

"Edwin! Please, tell me I'm dreaming?" Derek stood up with wide eyes as he looked around his bedroom. "This isn't my room and Casey's acting like she's concerned for me..."

"I am concerned for you, Derek! And since when do you use words like _concerned_?" Casey spoke as she took another step towards him.

"Don't come near me! I know this is a trick! You switched our rooms! I don't know how you did it... but I know it was you!"

"What are you talking about?" Casey was really worried now as she turned to speak to Edwin and Lizzie. "Go get our parents. I think Derek is sick."

"No! Don't leave me alone with her!" Derek cried.

The two younger teenagers gave Casey a wary look as they left the room, leaving Casey to try to figure out what was going on with her stepbrother.

"Derek, I hate to ask this but... are you doing drugs...?" Casey spoke in a whisper.

"What? No! I would never do that! Do you know how harmful that stuff is to the human body?"

"Of course I do! Now tell me what is going on because I can't help you unless you help me!" Casey snapped with frustration.

"You don't want to help me; you want to destroy me!"

Casey let out a heavy sigh as she dropped her head in her hands, "Derek, I'm still cross with you for putting purple dye in my shampoo bottle but that doesn't mean I want to destroy you."

"I didn't put purple dye in your shampoo bottle! I would never do that! You dyed your hair purple yourself!" Derek backed even further away from her.

"You did do it! You admitted up to doing it last night and I had to cancel my date with Truman because of it!"

"Please, Casey, you've got to believe me! I would never do that to you!"

"What's the emergency?" Nora suddenly appeared in the doorway.

"What did he do this time?" George appeared behind her. "Derek, why can't you just leave Casey alone and stop pulling pranks on her, especially this early in the morning?"

"Me?" Derek gasped in shock. "I would never prank Casey! She's the one that pranked me! Hence this room!" Derek shouted as he waved his arms around the bedroom.

"Your room looks normal to me." George shrugged. "Now you better quit this nonsense and get ready for school."

"B-but, Dad..."

"Enough, Derek!" George snapped at his son. "I mean it; you better start treating your stepsister with more respect and acting your age! No more pranks!"

Derek was speechless as he watched his father and stepmother leave the room and head back downstairs. He looked like he'd seen a ghost. His face was pale and his eyes were wide with terror.

"Derek..." Casey cleared her throat. "I'm going to get ready now... We leave in a half an hour, so please be ready?"

"I... I don't understand..." He mumbled under his breath.

"Well you better understand, Derek, because George is right." Casey said as she crossed her arms and leaned against his doorway. "It's about time you stopped acting so childish. We leave for University next fall... or at least _I_ do... I don't know what you're planning with your life but..."

"I don't know how you did this... but you've got the whole family in on it too..." Derek cut her off as he ran his hands through his shaggy brown hair and started pacing the hardwood floor. "But why would they help _you_?"

"In on what, Derek?" Casey was now really confused as she stood up a little straighter and eyed him suspiciously.

"This prank!" Derek shouted as he gestured around the room with his arms. "I have put up with you for the past three and a half years, Casey, but this has gone too far. What did you do with all of my stuff?"

"_You've_ put up with _me_ for the past three and a half years?" Casey shrieked as she took a step towards him.

Derek backed away from her and tripped over a hockey stick that was on the floor. He started to fall backwards but Casey reached out just in time and pulled him to his feet.

Derek's eyes went wide as Casey let go of him and stepped back.

"W... what did you do that for?" Derek asked in bewilderment.

"I may be angry with you, Derek, but I'm not going to watch you fall and get hurt." Casey sighed. "Now quit with the theatrics and get ready for school. I am not going to be late because of you." Casey said and then walked out of the room, leaving a very stunned and perplexed stepbrother behind.

% % %

Casey sat at the island in the kitchen with a bowl of steaming oatmeal in front of her and her three younger siblings eating their choice breakfasts as well. Their parents had already left for work, so Casey and Derek were in charge of getting the kids to school on time.

"My class is going on a field trip to the new dinosaur museum that just opened up down town." Marti smiled as she munched on a spoonful of Captain Crunch cereal.

"That sounds great, Marti!" Lizzie replied as she bit into a piece of strawberry rhubarb jam toast. "I remember going on a field trip to the dinosaur museum in Toronto when I was your age. It was really interesting and exciting."

"I prefer Jurassic Park as my dinosaur experience." Edwin grinned from where he stood at the stove. He cracked open an egg and let the yoke fall and sizzle on a hot pan.

Casey was about to say something when a loud shout suddenly came from upstairs.

"Aaahhh!" It was Derek again.

"What is he yelling about now?" Casey complained as she stood up and the four of them ran up the stairs to see what was going on.

"Smerek, are you alright?" Marti asked once they'd hit the top of the stairs and rounded the corner to the bedrooms.

Derek was standing in the doorway of Casey's room with his jaw dropped. He turned to look at them and glared in Casey's direction, "What did you do to my room?"

Casey raised her brow as she folded her arms across her chest and stared at him, "Excuse me? _Your _room?"

Derek groaned as he shook his head and walked into the bedroom.

"Der-ek!" Casey shouted as she followed after him. "Who said you could walk into my room without my permission?"

"This isn't your room!" Derek snapped as he gestured around the space. "Stop with the nonsense, Casey, because I'm getting sick of it! I don't understand how you did this... or where you got all this _girly _stuff... but I want _my_ stuff back right now!"

"Did you hit your head in your last hockey game or something... because this isn't funny, Derek. This is _my_ room and I didn't do anything to your stuff, so get out and get ready for school!"

"This_ is_ my room and I know you took all of my things! You...Wait... Hockey game? I don't play hockey..."

Casey glanced at her sister and stepsiblings who were standing behind her and they all looked just as confused as she was.

"Derek, you've been playing hockey since you were five." Edwin spoke.

"What? I could never play hockey! I'm terrible at sports; I always have been!"

"Ha ha... Very funny, Derek, now knock it off." Casey said sarcastically.

"No, you knock it off! I don't understand what is going on here!" Derek shouted as he pulled at his hair.

"Casey," Marti looked up at her older stepsister with a worried expression, "I don't think Derek is joking around..."

"Of course he is... _Right Derek_." Casey glared at her stepbrother, hoping he would quit acting like a moron, especially since he was starting to freak his little sister out.

Derek walked forward and knelt down to eye level with Marti, "Smarti, you know I wouldn't lie to you. Please tell me what's going on here...?"

"What's going on is that you're acting like an idiot and we're all going to be late for school." Casey said with her hands on her hips.

"Since when are you so worried about getting to school on time?" Derek looked up at her in irritation.

"Uh... since Pre-K, Derek..." Lizzie answered. "So I'd get ready if I were you because you guys are supposed to drop us off too."

Derek stood up and looked at his brother with pleading eyes, "Ed, why are you going along with this prank? Did the McDonalds threaten you? Do you know where my stuff is?"

Edwin sighed, "Derek, seriously, this is getting really annoying now. Casey's right; you need to stop acting so childish and get ready. I even made you eggs and bacon for breakfast."

"_Casey's right_?" Derek stared at his brother in disbelief. "How can you say that? After all that she's put me through...?"

"What _exactly _have I put you through, Derek?" Casey glared at him. "You're the one who's been a nightmare to live with these past three years! You dyed my hair purple and ruined my date with Truman!"

Derek let out a loud groan as he stared up at the ceiling and spoke, "What is going on here? I don't understand!"

Now Casey was really concerned. She was starting to get the feeling that Derek wasn't acting and that he really was in confusion this morning.

"Derek, maybe you should stay home from school today and get some rest..." Casey softened her tone as she spoke to him and placed her hand on his shoulder.

Derek looked down at her hand with a frightened expression, "You'd like that wouldn't you?" He frowned as he backed away from her. "You knew how devastated I'd be if I ruined my perfect attendance record, so you set this whole thing up."

"What?"

"Well it's not going to work! There is no way I am missing school just because I feel like my life has been turned upside down. So please excuse me while I get dressed." He said as he ushered them out of the room and closed the door.

Casey was about to open the door back up and yell at him to get out of her room but suddenly the door flew open and Derek walked out.

"Very funny filling the dresser with girl clothes." He snorted as he walked past her and into his bedroom, which he claimed wasn't his. "There better be something I can wear in here." He said as he closed the door once again.

"That was... weird..." Edwin voiced what they were all thinking.

"I'm sure Derek is just messing with us. He'll be back to normal by the end of the day." Casey said to reassure the kids as they all headed back down the stairs to finish their breakfast and get ready. _At least I hope..._

% % %

Casey parked the Prince in the driveway at school and turned off the ignition. She turned to look at her stepbrother and let out a sigh.

"Ok... I can't help it anymore... I have to say something..."

"About what?" Derek asked with wary eyes. "Are you finally going to tell me what happened to our bedrooms and not to mention the whole house as well for that matter...?"

Casey rolled her eyes, "Are you seriously still going on about that? And what's wrong with our house?"

"Everything has been switched around! What happened to all the nice furniture and paintings...? It's just so disorderly..."

"Disorderly? Since when do you use big words?" Casey smirked.

"Since always..." Derek frowned. "Now, what were you going to say because this is getting a little creepy...?"

"Creepy?"

"Well creep_ier..._"

"And why is that?"

Derek sighed, "For one, you've been acting kind of... Dare I say it... Nice to me, besides the whole bedroom prank; you drove _me_ and not to mention our _siblings_ to school instead of stealing my keys and forcing us to take the bus; you're talking to me... trying to have a conversation with me... and you haven't insulted me or hurt me once yet this morning..."

Casey stared at him like he'd gone mad, "Um... Derek... I'm always nice to you, besides when you infuriate me with your juvenile pranks; we always drive to school together, considering we share this car... And what's wrong with me wanting to talk to you...? And when have I ever insulted you or hurt you? I'd say _you're _the one acting strange, not me."

Derek shook his head, "Never mind. I don't want to go through this again..."

"Anyway..." Casey sighed. "I was just wondering which girl you were trying to impress this time by dressing and looking like _that_...?" Casey said as she gestured towards his neatly combed and parted hair, brown button up shirt, and black dress pants.

"I'm not trying to impress anyone. These were the only decent clothes I could find in my closet, thank you very much. And since we're on the subject of outfits, what's up with yours? You actually look rather nice and not so scary or skimpy..." He said as he opened the car door.

"Uh...Thanks...?" Casey replied with a raised brow as she grabbed the keys and opened her own door and got out.

"Well... uh... I'm going to get to class now... uh... thanks for the ride..." Derek said as he nervously waved goodbye.

"Derek, are you sure you're going to be okay?" Casey asked, apprehensive by the way Derek had been acting all morning.

"I won't be if you keep acting like you care about me."

"But I'm not..." She began to say but he'd already walked away, "acting."

_Do I really care about Derek? I mean, of course I care about him... He's my stepbrother, he's family... I kind of have no choice but to care about him... And he is acting very strange today... Stranger than usual... I can't believe I'm saying this but I kind of hope this is all just a joke and that he'll be back to normal really soon... The way he's acting is kind of freaking me out... It's almost like he's the male version of me... but worse..._

RING! RING!

Casey was snapped out of her thoughts by the school bell ringing and let out a gasp as she locked the car and quickly made her way inside the high school before she was late for class.

% % %

"Hey, Casey." Emily greeted her best friend, during the break before second period, as Casey was grabbing a text book from her locker. "What happened to your hair?"

"Oh, hey, Em," Casey sighed as she retrieved her book from her locker and closed the door. "Derek happened to my hair."

"Oh... Well... speaking of Derek... Is he feeling alright today?" Emily asked with a concerned expression.

Casey groaned, "Oh no... What did he do now?"

"Well... for starters... Who dressed him this morning?" Emily replied with a look of distaste. "And that hair..." she shuddered for effect. "I prefer the messy look."

"Go on..." Casey stated impatiently as she leaned against her locker door.

"Ok, well, from my latest Derek research, your stepbrother has been trying to get a date with Gabriella Sanchez, one of the hottest girls in our grade, for the past week with no such luck."

"You still keep tabs on Derek...?" Casey raised her brow and pursed her lips at her friend.

"Don't judge me. It's just a hobby. Trust me; I've been over Derek for a while now."

"Then continue."

"Where was I...? Oh right... So this morning I heard that Gabby was totally flirting with Derek in Biology class but he completely ignored her and told her that he didn't have time for girls because school and his studies came first."

Casey's jaw dropped, "_Derek_ said that?"

Emily nodded, "I'm afraid so."

"And I guess when Sam and Ralph went to talk to him at his locker he begged them not to hurt him and ran into the classroom before they could say a thing. Is he sick or something...?" Emily questioned.

"Honestly... I have no idea..." Casey shook her head as they began to walk side by side. "He's been acting strange all morning. I don't know what's gotten into him. It's like he's a completely different person..."

"Maybe you should get him to talk to that guidance counsellor friend of yours... What's his name...? Peter?"

"Paul."

"Right, Paul. Maybe he can figure out what's wrong...?"

"But I don't have an appointment with him today."

"So make one. This is Derek's sanity we're talking about, the guy who turned down Gabby Sanchez because he said he had to focus on his studies!" Emily raised her voice as she shook Casey by the shoulders.

"Ok, ok." Casey backed away from her friend with a sigh. "No need to get all dramatic, Em. I'll talk to Paul today at lunch."

"Great! I've got to get to class now. Don't you have math with Derek second period?"

"Unfortunately..." Casey groaned.

"Good luck. Let me know if he does anything else _un_-Derek-like." Emily said as she waved bye and continued on down the hall.

Casey walked into math class and took her usual seat in a desk at the front. She took out her notebook and textbook and began to review the contents of the last chapter in case there was a surprise test. She could never be too careful with math, it was her least favourite subject and the one she had to work the hardest at to get straight A's on her final report card next month.

"What are you doing here?" A familiar voice broke through her thoughts and Casey looked up to see Derek standing there with a puzzled expression.

"This is my class, Derek." Casey forced a smile.

Derek let out a sigh, "This day hasn't made any sense... Someone's been messing with my schedule because I'm ending up in the wrong classes."

"What are you talking about? This _is _your class."

"I'm guessing you're the one who switched my classes on me, aren't you?" Derek frowned.

"No, why would I do that?"

"Because you live to ruin my life."

Casey shook her head. She did not want to get into this argument again, so instead she changed the subject.

"Derek, you know Paul right?"

"Paul the Guidance Counsellor? Of course I do." He nodded.

"Well I think it would be good for you and him to have a little chat today at lunch..."

"But I don't have an appointment until Thursday."

"What appointment?"

"The appointment I have every Thursday with Paul. My Dad suggested I talk to him three years ago when my family first moved here to live with you McDonalds because I wasn't adjusting to change very well."

"What are you talking about?" Casey stared at him in bewilderment. "_My_ family was the one that moved here to live with you _Venturis_ and _I'm_ the one who meets with Paul every Thursday, not you."

Before Derek could open his mouth, the bell rang and the teacher, Mrs. Ruth walked into the classroom and requested that everyone take their seats. Instead of his usual slacker seat in the very back, Derek surprisingly took a seat right next to Casey in the front row and pulled out his textbook and note paper to write on.

"Can anyone solve this equation without using their calculator?" Mrs. Ruth asked the students as she gestured towards an equation written out on the white board.

Casey stared at the equation and even wrote in her notebook but she couldn't figure out the answer.

"That's too easy!" Derek said from beside her with a chuckle. "I know the answer."

"I'd rather hear from someone who can actually give me a _real_ answer, Mr. Venturi." Mrs. Ruth dismissed him with a pointed glare.

"B-but I do have the real answer." Derek protested. "The answer is X=76452."

Mrs. Ruth frowned, "Did you use your calculator, Mr. Venturi?"

"Of course not. I would never cheat."

"Says the boy who was caught cheating on a math test last year." She said as the whole class erupted into laughter, at least everyone but Casey, who was praying that Mrs. Ruth didn't mention that Derek was helping _her_ cheat on that test.

"What are you talking about?" Derek stared at her in confusion.

Mrs. Ruth sighed as she glared at Derek, "I don't have time for your games, Mr. Venturi, just tell me how you got the answer, truthfully."

"I am telling the truth." Derek insisted.

"And I'm supposed to believe you when one of your nicknames is _Lord of the Lies_?" Mrs. Ruth sneered.

"I don't lie. I never have!"

"Ok, Mr. Venturi, I've had enough of your attitude, please take your belongings and go to the principle's office." The teacher demanded as she pointed her finger out the door.

"What attitude...? What are you talking about?" Derek's face paled. "I've never been sent to the Principal's office before..."

Casey knew Mrs. Ruth was over exaggerating but she was a tough teacher and Derek tended to enjoy getting on her nerves in the past. He would usually just smirk and make his way out the door when she got frustrated with him but this time he genuinely looked afraid of leaving and for some odd reason, she felt sorry for her stepbrother right now, no matter how delusional he'd been acting.

"Um... Mrs. Ruth, if you don't mind, I'll walk Derek to the office myself." Casey said with a raised hand.

"He is perfectly capable of walking himself, Miss. McDonald." The teacher replied.

"Yes, but last time he walked himself to the mall instead, remember?"

Mrs. Ruth groaned, "Fine, you're both excused. Please make sure that your delinquent brother makes it to the Principal's office, Miss. McDonald, and then please hurry back to class. We have a lot to discuss today before the finals next month."

"Step brother," Casey corrected under her breath and nodded as she grabbed her books and stood up.

"Let's go, Derek." She said as he looked at Derek who was still sitting in his desk with a bewildered look on his face.

"I don't understand..." Derek mumbled as Casey grabbed him by the arm and forced him to get up.

"Just follow me, please." Casey whispered as they began to walk out the door.

"You set this whole thing up, didn't you?" Derek accused once they were out in the hall and pulled away from her grasp.

"Derek, I really think you need to speak with Paul. You haven't been yourself today and I'm worried that you're having some kind of identity crisis or a mental break down..."

"Oh, you'd love that wouldn't you?" He sneered.

"Actually, no, I wouldn't. Even though you drive me insane most of the time, I do still care about you."

"You... you do?" His eyes were wide and filled with confusion.

Casey sighed, "Of course I do. We're... family... after all." She didn't know why but it always felt peculiar to consider Derek as family. "So will you please talk to Paul for me?"

"I... I guess I can..."

"Thank you, Derek." Casey smiled and let out a breath of reassurance.

Derek didn't reply as they began to walk down the hall towards Paul's office.

% % %

Casey knocked on The Guidance counsellor's door, hoping that Paul Greeby would be in his office right now.

"Come in." A voice answered from inside.

"Good, he's here." Casey sighed as she turned the knob and opened the door.

Paul looked up from where he was sitting at his desk in confusion, "Casey? It's not Thursday already is it?"

"Um... no... But I was wondering, if you're not too busy, would you mind talking to someone who really needs your help right now...?"

"Is this person _wanting _to talk with me?"

Casey nodded.

"Ok, well then who is it?"

Casey opened the door further and Derek stepped inside.

Paul had just taken a sip of his coffee and when he saw Derek he started choking on it and coughing.

"Hi, Paul, are you alright?" Derek said as he approached the guidance counsellor and started patting him on the back.

"I'm," _cough! _"fine," _cough! _"Thank you, Derek." _Cough_." Paul cleared his throat as he set his mug of coffee down and looked up at the two teens. "You can take a seat if you want."

Derek sat down in the chair across from Paul and Casey stayed standing behind him.

"So... what... um... seems to be the problem here?" Paul began.

"Well for starters, have you seen the way he is dressed?" Casey said as she gestured towards Derek's outfit.

Paul nodded.

"What about the way _she's_ dressed?" Derek exclaimed.

Paul raised his brow as he glanced at Casey, "Well... Casey looks the same as she always does... but this is a little different for you, Derek."

"It's not my fault that she hid all my stuff, including my clothes." Derek huffed as he folded his arms.

"Casey, is this true?" Paul frowned.

"No! I was in the shower all night, trying to get this purple dye out of my hair because of him. He's been acting very strange all morning Paul. He seems to think that I switched our bedrooms and our house around and that I'm playing some ultimate prank against him."

"Because you are!" Derek shouted.

"Calm down, Derek." Paul spoke soothingly. He then turned to Casey, "Proceed."

"He hasn't been himself, Paul. He seems to think that I'm out to ruin his life and he turned down Gabriella Sanchez this morning, telling her that his studies were more important!"

Paul's eyes went wide, "You did?" He looked at Derek.

Derek shrugged, "It's not that I don't like girls, but I should really be focussing on my studies right now since finals are next month."

"I... I guess that's good..."

"No it's not!" Casey objected. "The old Derek would never have turned down a hot date, especially for his studies!"

"She thinks _I'm_ the one who's been acting strange..." Derek spoke up as he stared at Paul. "She's always been out to ruin my life since the first day we met and suddenly she's been acting like she _cares _about me... She even told me out in the hall just now! What is up with that?"

"I've never been out to ruin his life, Paul, you know that! It's the other way around! And I do care about you, Derek, especially when you're not acting like _you_."

Paul was beginning to get a migraine as he began to rub his temples, "Ok... so let me get this straight... You both believe that the other has changed and hasn't been acting themselves...? Is that correct?"

"Yes." They both answered.

"Paul, I'm afraid Derek is going through some kind of identity crisis..."

Derek rolled his eyes as he sat forward, "Paul you know me... Do I seem different to you?"

"Derek, can I ask you some questions?" Paul requested as he folded his hands together on top of the desk and smiled.

"Um... sure... I guess..."

"Where were you born?"

"Toronto, Ontario."

"Where do you live?"

"London, Ontario, for three years now because my Dad married Nora."

Paul glanced briefly at Casey who was standing there with an even more worried look on her face.

"And how would you describe your relationship with Casey?"

"She's my stepsister that hates my guts and has been out to ruin my life since the day we met. You know that Paul, I've told you in our sessions together."

"What sessions?" Paul raised a brow. "We've only ever had maybe two meetings together..."

"No... I have appointments here very Thursday afternoon..."

Paul nodded as he took a sip of his coffee and spoke steadily, "Uh... Derek, can I speak to Casey in private for a moment...?"

"I guess..." Derek hesitated as he stood up.

"You can just wait out in the hall and I'll call you back in a moment."

Derek nodded as he walked past Casey and exited the room, closing the door behind him.

"Do you see what I mean?" Casey asked immediately.

Paul nodded, "I don't really know what to say..."

"Do you think it's just a joke, some sick prank he's trying to pull?"

Paul shook his head, "No, he's serious."

"Well should I tell my Mom and George? Should we take him to the hospital for some tests?"

"I don't know... I think we should just wait until the day is through. It could just be a phase and he'll be back to normal before we know it."

"But what if it isn't? Will he be okay?"

Paul sighed, "I don't know."

"I can't believe I'm saying this... but I want the old Derek back..." Casey said as she choked back a sob.

* * *

**Wow... Casey sure seems concerned about Derek... I wonder what will happen now?**

**Please tell me what you thought and if you want me to continue with this idea as well... I can alternate between chapters... **

**Thanks for reading!**


	5. Hot Nerd?

**Sigh. I know it has been a couple months since my last update and to be honest I'd almost given up on this story... but then I became inspired again and wrote another chapter. **

**I hope nobody is too upset with me and I hope you will still want to read my story.**

**Here is the next chapter. It's back to the Alternate Reality with Derek and _evil_ Casey.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Hot Nerd?**

It was morning. Derek slowly opened his eyes, praying to God that he was back in his own room, in his own universe. He squinted, adjusting to the sunlight shimmering through his window and sat up in bed.

"No..." He groaned as he looked around the bedroom that wasn't his. "Am I ever going to get back home?"

"You are home, silly." A small voice giggled on his right.

Derek turned to see Marti standing there in purple pyjamas and holding Sir Monks-a-lot in her arms.

"Hey, Smarti," Derek plastered on a smile for his baby sister, even though technically she wasn't his real sister.

"Are you feeling better today, Smerek?" Marti asked as she jumped up onto the bed and sat in his lap.

"I wish I was..." Derek sighed.

"Casey is sick too. I heard Nora trying to wake her up for school."

_Casey... _The memories of the night before came back to Derek and he let out another groan.

"Did she wake up?" Derek asked with concern.

Marti nodded, "Yeah, she told Nora that she was too sick to go to school today. Nora argued with her for a bit until she finally gave up and left Casey alone."

"I better go check on her." Derek sighed as he lifted Marti from his lap and stood up.

"Why?" His little sister stared up at him in confusion. "I thought you didn't like Casey?"

"It's... complicated..." Derek said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "You and Sir. Monks-a-lot should go get dressed for school now."

"It's _Ms. _Monks-a-lot, Derek!" Marti corrected him with a frown as she pointed to the pink tutu around the stuffed monkey's waist. Derek hadn't noticed that.

"Oh... uh... Sorry."

_Marti's favourite stuffed animal is a girl in this reality...?_

"You really are still sick..." Marti said as she turned away and walked out of his room.

Derek followed her but turned the opposite way and stopped in front of his -_Casey's -_ door and knocked.

"Mom, I told you I'm not feeling good. This time I really am serious, so leave me alone!" Casey's voice shouted from inside.

"Um... It's Derek..." Derek cleared his throat.

No response.

"Can I... um... come in?" Derek asked, anxiously.

_Why am I so scared of Casey all of a sudden...?_

"Make it quick." Casey snapped.

Derek opened the door and stepped inside her room. He still couldn't get over how different it looked, especially with purple and blue walls.

"Close the door." Casey ordered from where she sat on her bed with the covers pulled up over her frame.

Derek nodded and shut the door.

"So... uh... how are you feeling?" He croaked out awkwardly as he stared down at the floor.

"How do you think I feel? My head is killing me and I have no idea what happened last night!" Casey snapped as she glared his way.

"You... you don't remember anything about last night?" Derek's eyes widened.

Casey shook her head, "All I remember is going to a party with Truman, seeing my cousin, dancing with my boyfriend and him persuading me to drink some beer."

"Well that _boyfriend_ is the reason your head hurts so much." Derek scoffed.

"What?"

"Truman drugged you, Casey, and then he tried to take advantage of you while you were under the influence."

"And how do you know this?"

"Because I was the one that punched him in the gut and brought you back home."

"Excuse me? You punched my boyfriend?" Casey exclaimed as she stood up from the bed with a shocked expression.

Derek's eyes widened a little when he noticed that she'd changed out of her clothes from the other night, and she was now wearing short blue shorts and an orange tank top. Not the usual type of pyjamas he was used to seeing his stepsister in.

"He was trying to hurt you." He said as he forced his eyes to look at the wall beyond her revealing skin.

"I can fend for myself." She said as she folded her arms across her chest.

"I was just trying to help. The least you could do is say thank you."

"I would never thank a liar."

"I'm not lying."

"Yeah, and you're from another reality too right?" She smirked in mock amusement.

"Last night you said you believed me." Derek frowned.

"Yeah, well last night didn't happen, so get of my room."

Derek couldn't believe her. She was so infuriating. He'd punched her so-called boyfriend, carried her passed out form to his car, drove her an hour back home, and carried her upstairs and put her in bed. He thought he'd gotten through to her...

"You know what I think?" Derek asked as he took a threatening step towards her. "I think that you _do_ remember everything but you don't want to admit it because you're too self-centred to care about anyone but yourself." He scowled at her as he opened the door to leave. "I was wrong last night; you are _nothing_ like the Casey I know." He spat out and left, closing her door behind him.

_She doesn't want to admit she's wrong, then fine. I'll just have to show her how wrong she is._

# # #

Derek made his way down the stairs after his interaction with alternate Casey. He snorted as he walked through the prim and proper living room and into the kitchen where he was met by alternate George and Edwin eating breakfast.

"Good morning, Son." George smiled at him as he sipped from a mug of coffee.

"Hey. " Derek grunted as he sat down at the island and looked up at his alternate brother. "Ed, cereal now."

"Do I look like a servant to you?" Edwin glared at him.

"No, you're my younger brother that's supposed to make me my breakfast."

"Derek, that's no way to treat your brother." George frowned at his son.

"He's not my brother." Derek mumbled under his breath.

"What'd you say?" George asked.

"Nothing."

"George looked back up at who he thought was his son and frowned with confusion, "Why aren't you dressed and ready for school? You'll be late if you don't hurry up."

"I'm not feeling too great, so I'm going to stay home from school today."

George and Edwin's jaws dropped simultaneously as they stared at Derek like he'd just turned into a creepy space alien with five tentacles and purple and yellow spots.

"Did he just say he's not going to school?" Edwin looked at his father in shock.

George stood up and hurried around the island to stand in front of Derek, "You skipped school yesterday and now you do not want to go today because you're sick?" He placed a hand on Derek's forehead to see if it was hot.

Derek nodded nonchalantly, "Yep."

"Wow, he must be really sick..." Edwin spoke as he still sat at the island.

"You don't have a temperature..." George mused as he stared at his son. "Derek, you do realize that before yesterday you have never missed one day of school in your life...?"

Derek shrugged, "I'd rather stay home than let what I have infect the rest of the student body."

"Are you sure nothing else is bothering you...?" George narrowed his eyes as he gave Derek a suspicious look.

"I'm just not feeling good, Dad. That's all it is."

George finally backed off with a sigh of defeat, "Fine, Son, but if you're sick I want you upstairs in bed."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going." Derek said with a wave of his hand as he stood up and left his father and brother in a state of perplexity.

# # #

After sleeping in for a few more hours, Derek emerged from Alternate Derek's bedroom and made his way down the stairs to the kitchen. He made himself a sandwich and then walked into the living room and sat down on a blue recliner that would have to pass for his recliner back home. He turned on the TV and switched to a hockey game, thankful that hockey still existed in this reality.

"What do you think you're doing?" A stern voice spoke from behind him.

Derek swivelled in his chair to see Casey standing on the bottom step with her hands on her hips and a scowl upon her face.

"I am eating a sandwich and watching a game. Do you mind?" He replied as he bit into his turkey sandwich.

"You're sitting in _my_ chair." She growled as she stepped down the last step and walked towards him.

Derek shrugged nonchalantly as he kept his eyes on the TV screen, "It doesn't have your name on it, so technically it's not _yours_."

"Uh, yes it is. The whole family knows that _I_ only sit there."

"Casey, Casey, Casey," Derek shook his head with a smirk. "When are you going to accept that I am not part of this family, which means you have no control over me?"

"You wanna bet?" She glowered as she leaned forward and grabbed him by the scruff of his collar.

"Do you mind?" Derek said as he tried to look over her head. "You're blocking my view of the game."

Casey's eyes widened momentarily before she tightened her grip on his collar, "You hate hockey; in fact you hate every single sport because you suck at them, so quit this stupid _alternate reality _crap, Venturi, and get out of my seat!"

Derek was surprised at how close their faces were as he looked into her burning eyes and uttered one syllable, "No."

Casey let out a cry of rage as she released his shirt and shoved him back. She then stomped out of the living room and back up the stairs to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

"Point one for Derek." Derek grinned as he took another bite out of his sandwich and turned up the volume to the TV.

# # #

Derek walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his mid-section. He'd just finished having a shower and headed towards Alternate Derek's bedroom to get dressed. He opened the door and was shocked to see that all the posters on the walls were covered with rude comments and insults.

He heard a snicker from behind him and turned to see Casey standing there with a malevolent grin on her face, "You like the art work I did?"

Derek only grinned back as he let out an amused chuckle, "You seriously think that writing insults on posters that don't belong to me would be a bother?"

Casey's face formed into a frown as she glared at him, "They do belong to you and I know that it is a bother because you love those posters."

"_I _don't give a crap about those posters. The other Derek, however, probably would."

Casey took a step towards him but then backed up when she realized how _underdressed _he was. She stared at his bare chest for a moment with slight confusion on her face.

"You like what you see?" Derek grinned.

Casey averted her gaze from his chest as she glared up at him, "No, I just don't understand how a nerd like you could be so..."

"Muscular... ripped... _hot_?" Derek smirked as he took a step towards her.

"_You_ hot?" Casey scoffed with a look of disgust. "In your dreams, Freak."

"You know, Casey, my built and very attractive chest proves that I am not your nerdy stepbrother because these muscles are from years of playing hockey."

"Whatever. I still don't believe you. Plus I see you go on runs every morning before school so that you can stay in shape." Casey said with a roll of her eyes as she turned away from him and started heading back inside her room.

"I'll prove it to you, Ice Princess, you'll see." Derek mumbled under his breath as she closed the door in his face.

# # #

The minute Edwin arrived home from school; Derek grabbed him and yanked him into the bedroom. Edwin let out a cry of surprise as Derek closed the door and stood in front of his younger brother with a giant grin spread across his face.

"Dude, what's the deal?" Edwin shouted as he clutched his beating heart. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Remember when I said that we would teach the McDonald girls a lesson about pranking?"

"Yeah... why?"

"Because, Ed, my dear brother, that time has come."

"But you don't know anything about pranking, Derek, hence you always being the one that gets pranked."

"That was the old Derek. Trust me, bro, this Derek knows all there is to know on the subject of pranks."

Edwin hesitated with fearful eyes, "I don't know, D... Aren't you afraid of what they'll do to us? Casey will kill you and eat you for dinner."

"I'm not scared of Casey."

"Since when?"

Derek grabbed his brother by the shoulders and looked into his eyes, "Look, Ed, are you in or not? It's about time the McDonald's got a taste of their own medicine."

Edwin thought it over and slowly nodded his head, "Fine, but how about we leave Lizzie out of this?"

"How come?"

"It's strange... but she actually hasn't been too mean to me lately... She even defended me when Rodney started calling me names at school today."

Derek smiled, "Alright then, Liz is out. We'll just prank Casey, which is always more of a joy anyway."

# # #

"Derek, son, are you still feeling sick?" George asked when he walked into alternate Derek's room and sat down on his bed.

"I'm actually starting to feel good again." Derek said from where he sat at the desk in the room, typing something on the computer.

George looked around the room and realized something wasn't right, "Where are all the posters that were on your walls?"

"I threw them out."

George's eyes widened, "How come? You loved those things?"

"I fell out of love with them." Derek shrugged.

George shook his head as he stood up and made his way towards the door, "Dinner will be ready in ten minutes." He said and then left the room.

Derek decided to try looking up some information about alternate realities on Google, which in this reality was actually called Noodle. He typed it in and scrolled down the first couple of pages. Nothing was standing out to him and he let out a sigh of frustration. It was all about TV shows and comics, etc, nothing about real life.

"I'm going to be stuck here forever." Derek groaned as he shut off the computer and dropped his head in his hands.

"Hey, D," a voice whispered from Derek's doorway.

Derek swivelled in his chair to see Edwin standing there with a mischievous look upon his face.

"Yes, Ed?" Derek rolled his eyes.

"I did what you asked." Edwin whispered as he darted his eyes back and forth nervously.

"Excellent." Derek grinned. "Great job, Ed."

"Do you really think the prank will work?"

"I'm hoping it will. Then she will see that I'm not who she thinks I am."

"What?" Edwin gave him a puzzled look.

"Nothing. Just quit acting all guilty or she'll know something's up." Derek said as he stood and made his way towards the hallway.

"I'm sorry but I'm not used to this kind of thing. It's kind of freaking me out. What if Casey does catch on?"

"She won't if you keep your big mouth shut." Derek said as he shoved his brother out of the way and started making his way towards the stairs.

# # #

After dinner with Casey glaring across at him again, Derek was back in his room, waiting for the moment he hoped to hear the familiar sound of his name being screamed and broken in two. To be honest, he actually missed hearing that sound and seeing Casey's fuming face as she confronted him after a prank well done.

He heard the doorbell ring downstairs and a wide grin spread across his face as he hurried out of the bedroom and stopped to peer down from the landing at the top of the stairs.

"I'll get it!" Marti called out as she ran to the front door and opened it up. After a moments pause she suddenly called out, "Casey, it's for you!"

Derek held back his laughter as Casey came out of her room and shoved past him on the stairwell to get downstairs.

"What are you grinning about, Freak?" She scowled at him.

"What? A guy can't smile every once in a while?" Derek shrugged as she scoffed and continued her decent down the stairs and towards the door.

"It's your boyfriend." Marti sang and then took off running into the kitchen.

"My wha... MAX?" Casey gasped as she opened the door to see her fake boyfriend standing there.

Oh, how Derek wished he could see her face right now.

"Hi, Casey, I got your message and hurried over here." Max blushed as he stuffed his hands inside his pockets.

Derek could just make out his outline in the doorway and almost burst out laughing at the sight. Max hardly looked like Max at all, at least the Max he knew. This Max was dressed in brown khaki pants, a white collar dress shirt and black loafers upon his feet. Instead of his usual spiked hair, it was flat and parted down the middle, and large wire-rimmed glasses were perched upon his nose.

"What message?" Casey asked as she stared at Max in confusion.

"The message you sent me on _Profilebook_. You apologized for the way you've been treating me and that you want to be my real girlfriend instead of my fake one."

"What?" Casey shrieked in disgust. "I would never..."

"Want you to feel used again." Derek interrupted, finishing Casey's sentence, as he approached the door and waved at Max. He winked at Casey and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "Right, sis?"

Casey turned to stare at Derek in bewilderment and then her eyes suddenly widened in realization and her face turned red with anger.

"_Derek._" Casey ground out through clenched teeth as she pulled away from his grasp and looked like she was about ready to pounce on him.

"Actually it's pronounced: _Der-ek_!" Derek mimicked the Casey from his world and let his famous smirk shine as he leaned against the doorway and folded his arms across his chest.

"Uh... what's going on here?" Max asked with a raised brow as he watched the two stepsiblings in confusion. "Did you send that message or not, Casey?"

"Of course I didn't!" Casey snapped. "You actually think I would ever want to _actually_ date a loser like you?" She scowled Max's way and then turned her attention back to Derek, clenching her fists at her sides, ready to attack.

Max looked like he'd just been punched in the gut.

"Don't listen to her, Max. Casey's just too shy to admit her true feelings in person." Derek said as he slapped the chess champ's back.

"I am not!" Casey took a threatening step towards Derek. "You better cut this out or you'll wish you'd never messed with me!"

Derek feigned a shocked expression as he placed his hands on his chest and spoke in an innocent voice, "You actually think that I, Derek Venturi, would prank you, the Queen of pranks?"

Max let out a chuckle.

"What are you laughing at?" Casey barked at him.

"It's just a funny thought. The idea of _Derek_ ever pranking _you_..."

"But he did! He's the one that sent the message to you, Max, not me!"

_Actually it was Edwin. _Derek thought with a smile. _I just came up with the idea._

"Casey, Casey, Casey," Derek tsked as he shook his head. "Just admit your real feelings. You've been falling for Max since you first met him. I should know, especially since we live in the same house and I've heard you talking about him non stop."

Max blushed an even darker shade as he looked at Casey with love-sick eyes, "Really? You like me that much?"

"Derek, I swear if you don't tell him the truth right now, I'll..."  
"Max! What a splendid surprise!" Nora suddenly squealed as she entered the dinging room from the kitchen. "Casey, I didn't know you had a date tonight?" She looked at her daughter.

Casey rolled her eyes and let out a groan, "I don't, Mom, in fact Max was just leaving."

"Oh no, please stay for a bit, Max!" Nora protested as she hurried to the door and grabbed Max by the arm, pulling him into the house. "It's always so nice getting to know Casey's well-educated boyfriend."

Casey grabbed Max's other arm and tried to turn him back towards the door, "Mom, Max needs to leave. Now."

"But, Casey..." Nora complained as she tugged on Max's arm. "It would be nice to get to know the boy you have been dating for the last few months now."

"Yeah, Case," Derek grinned from beside her. "We'd love to get to know your _boyfriend_ a little better."

"Shut up!" Casey snapped at Derek with fire in her eyes.

"Casey, don't talk to your brother that way!" Her mother reprimanded.

"STEP brother." Both Casey and Derek corrected at the same time.

Nora ignored them as she began to guide Max into the living room to sit down on the couch.

"Now, Max, tell me how things are going in school for you." She smiled as they sat down and Max began to tell her about his chess team and how they'd won championships, etc...

Derek tuned them out as he grinned over at Casey who was watching the scene with revulsion.

"Would your Derek ever pull a prank like that?" He finally spoke as he leaned against the stairwell.

Casey turned her attention to him and glowered, "This proves nothing." She said and then started walking towards the kitchen.

"If you want, I could prank you again." He smirked as he followed after her.

Casey spun around and glared at him, "This wasn't a prank. This was messing with my personal life, which you have no business interfering in."

Derek rolled his eyes, "So it's okay for you to mess with me and my personal life, or should I say Alter-Derek's life, but I can't mess with yours?"

"You're calling yourself Alter-Derek now?" She looked at him like he was retarded.

"No, I'm calling _your_ Derek Alter-Derek."

"He's not _my _Derek."

"Ah-ha!" Derek exclaimed with a triumphant grin upon his face. "So you admit that I am not the Derek from this world."

Casey looked flabbergasted as her eyes widened, "That's not what I meant!"

"Why can't you just admit it?" Derek asked seriously. "Why is it so hard for you to believe?"

"_Why_ are you so desperate for _me_ to believe?" She shot back.

They stood across from each other, eyes locked and Derek was speechless.

"I..."

"Either this is just some ploy and you've finally gotten the balls to stand up to me for once, or you've finally lost your mind and have gone insane." Casey said as she shrugged her shoulders. "Either way, it doesn't affect me."

"Casey," Derek sighed as he stared down at the island top where he'd placed his hands for support. "I... I don't know why it's so important that you believe me... but it just is. I want to go home and I feel like you're my only hope at accomplishing that."

Casey didn't reply from where she stood at the other end of the island and the room grew silent.

Derek finally looked up at her through his shaggy brown locks and spoke, breaking the awkwardness, "And... if you don't believe me now, just wait another few days and I'll have you convinced. You're not the only one who can make a step sib's life a living hell."

Casey's eyes widened as she glared back at him, "You're threatening me?"

"No, I'm just stating a fact."

Casey let out a sigh as she rounded the island to face him, "Look, even if I did believe you, how do you expect me to help you get home?"

"I'm not sure yet... but this all started when I laughed at the idea of a world where Casey pulled pranks. Then low and behold I end up here, in a world where Casey pulls pranks... and is evil." He added the last part under his breath.

"I heard that." She sneered at him.

"Casey," Nora called from the living room, "you should invite your boyfriend over more often. He's so intellectual."

Casey groaned as she suddenly grabbed Derek by the collar and pulled him towards her, "You better tell Max the truth or_ I'll_ be the one making _your_ life a living hell."

"I'll only tell him if you agree to help me." Derek grinned.

Casey's grip tightened on his shirt and Derek thought she was going to hit him; she surprised him however, when she loosened her grip and nodded her head.

"Fine. I'll help you. Just, please, get rid of him. I can't stand hearing my mother praise him anymore. It makes me sick."

"You believe me then?" Derek asked with a pointed look.

Casey sighed, "Yes, I believe you. Now go."

Derek shook his head, "I want to hear you say it."

"Say what?"

"That I am not your stepbrother, Derek, and that I am from an alternate reality."

Casey groaned, "You're not my loser stepbrother and you're from another reality. Happy?" She asked with a frown.

Derek grinned, "Very."

"Now get rid of the chess geek before my mother starts planning our wedding!" She snapped as she shoved him out of the kitchen.

Derek couldn't help but smile. He just might get back home after all. The only question was: HOW?

* * *

**Please review. It would mean a lot and it would let me know if I should continue with this story or not... **

**Also, if you have any ideas or suggestions, I would love to hear them! **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! **


	6. Loco Derek

**Thanks for all the reviews! I'm glad you still want me to continue. **

**This is a shorter chapter than usual but some people were asking about the Alter-Derek, so I decided to write another chapter about him and our Casey in the real world. Let me know what you think... =)**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Loco Derek**

"I can't take this anymore!" Derek shouted as he approached Casey in the hallway after school.

"What's the problem now?" Casey asked with an irritated groan as she closed her locker door and turned to look at him.

"_Everything_ is the problem! This day isn't making any sense! My classes aren't my classes, girls keep throwing themselves at me and I have no idea why... you're being unusually kind to me, and my best friend acted like I was insane when I tried to talk to him!"

"Sam?"

Derek raised his brow, "Are you kidding me? Sam hates me!"

"Since when does Sam hate you? You two have been friends since elementary."

Derek stared at her like she was crazy, "I've only known him for three years, and he hates me because _you_ hate me. The guy follows you around like a lost puppy and tries to act like you belong to him. It's degrading."

"Derek, don't talk about your best friend that way!" Casey reprimanded.

"Sam is _not_ my best friend!" Derek argued and then he frowned. "And I guess neither is Noel now either."

"Noel Covington?" Casey raised a brow.

"Are there any other Noels in this school?"

"Since when was_ Noel_ ever your best friend... or friend at all for that matter?"

Derek's eyes widened as a thought occurred to him, "Did you say or do something to him to make him not want to talk to me?"

"What?"

Casey could feel a headache approaching as she lifted her hand to rub her temple.

"Hey, D, you better get your butt to practise before the coach finds out you're late!" A guy shouted to Derek as he raced down the hall towards the change rooms.

"Practise for what?" Derek asked as he turned to Casey in confusion.

"Hockey, Derek!" Casey shouted. "You know, one of the most important things in your life besides women!"

Derek made a disgusted face, "I've never played hockey in my life!"

Now Casey was beyond concerned for her stepbrother, "Derek, this seriously isn't funny anymore." She said as she took a step towards him. "Please tell me that this has all been a joke and that you're not actually crazy?" She begged with desperate blue eyes.

"I don't what you're talking about," he said as he backed away from her with a frown, "but could you seriously stop staring at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you've actually got a heart and you're feeling empathetic and worried about me!"

"I _am_ worried about you!" Casey raised her voice, becoming furious with him. "I'm so sick of you thinking that I don't care about you when you know that's not true, Derek! Yeah, you may annoy me most of the time but that doesn't mean I despise you and would love to see you suffer through this confusion you're having!"

Derek was obviously at a loss for words and didn't respond; he only stood there with his mouth slightly agape and his eyes wide.

Casey let out a deep breath as she met his eyes once again, "Derek, I think you need to visit the ER. I'm worried that there's something wrong with you... you're not acting like... well... _you_."

"I am very much fine, _Casey_," he spoke her name like venom on his tongue as he scowled at her. "You're the one that isn't acting like her usual evil stepsister self."

Before Casey could respond, Derek bolted past her and ran towards the exit at the end of the hall.

"Derek!" Casey called as his figure disappeared.

_What is happening to you?_

% % %

"Mom, George, something is going on with Derek!" Casey cried as she entered through the front door of their blended family home.

"Casey, I thought you had a poetry club meeting after school?" Nora responded as she sat at the kitchen table beside her husband. It looked like they were figuring out their taxes.

"I skipped it." Casey said as she approached them with concerned eyes. "I needed to talk to you and it couldn't wait."

George sighed as he looked up at her in annoyance, "What did my terrible son do now?"

"Well for starters, he's been acting _insane_ all day!" Casey exclaimed with her hands in the air.

"Isn't he always?" George chuckled.

"No, George, I mean really insane!" Casey said as she slapped her hands down on the table and stared into his face. "And now he's run off to only God knows where!"

"What do you mean he ran off?" Nora asked, noting that her daughter seemed truly bothered at the moment.

"He hasn't been himself all day! At first I thought it was just another stupid prank but he even turned down a date with Gabby Sanchez! He told her that 'his studies came first'! Can you believe that?" Casey was pacing the hardwood floor now as her parents stared at her like she was the insane child right now.

"He even said that he doesn't play hockey and never has, and he skipped practise! Derek _never_ skips hockey practise! Ever!"

Now George was concerned as he stood from his seat and grabbed his eldest stepdaughter by the shoulders, forcing her to calm down and look at him.

"Did you just say that Derek didn't go to hockey practise? They have a major game this weekend!"

Casey gave him an incredulous look as she pulled away from his grasp and glared at him, "Did you hear anything else I just said? Who cares about the hockey game! Your son has gone crazy and is now missing!"

"Casey, I'm sure you're overreacting." Nora tried to reassure her.

Casey shook her head, "No, Mom, even Paul said he didn't seem right, and ask the kids! They saw how he was behaving this morning! It's not normal, especially for Derek!"

"Did you try calling his cell?" George asked.

"Of course I did. He won't answer it. I'm not even sure he has it with him. He doesn't believe anything in his bedroom is his."

"That's absurd."

"Try telling him that."

"Casey, I'm sure Derek is fine. You're probably worrying yourself over nothing." George said as he put his arm around his wife and smiled at his distraught stepdaughter.

"And I'm sure he has a perfectly good excuse as to why he missed hockey practise today." Nora added.

"He better," George agreed, "or he's grounded for two more weeks."

"But..." Casey tried to interject.

"If Derek is not home by dinner time, then we can start worrying. Okay, Casey?"

"But, George..."

George shook his head, ignoring her protests, "No buts. We wait until we are all seated around the dinner table to see if Derek will be absent from his seat or not."

Casey wanted to argue with George's decision but when she glanced at her mother, she could tell that Nora was pleading with her to obey her stepfather and drop the subject.

"Fine," Casey spoke as she let out a sigh and turned towards the stairs, "but if Derek ends up lost somewhere because he doesn't remember who he is or where he lives anymore, then I am blaming it on you." She said and then stormed up the stairs and into her room.

% % %

It was 6:30 PM by the time the Venturi-McDonald family began to take their seats at the dinner table in the dinging room and Derek was still not home.

Casey glanced over at her stepfather as he sat down at the head of the table and she noticed the anxious look in his eyes as he stared over at his eldest son's empty chair.

"Daddy, where's Smerek?" Marti asked from beside her father as she began to push the peas and carrots on her plate to one side, away from the rest of her food.

"Uh... he should be home soon, dear." George replied, avoiding Casey's '_are you sure about that?' _look in her eyes.

"Is he feeling better than he was this morning?" Edwin asked. "Because he was acting really strange..."

George raised a brow but shook his head, "I'm sure he's fine."

Casey rolled her eyes.

_You didn't see the way he was acting today, George! You just don't want to admit that your son has gone loco!_

"Can you pass the potatoes?" George asked, trying to change the subject.

Just then the front door opened and in walked Derek. Everyone let out a sigh of relief at the sight of him as he closed the door and approached the table.

"Hey guys, what's for dinner?" He greeted with a smile.

Casey stared at him in bewilderment.

_Why is he suddenly acting so normal?_

"Derek, where have you been? Do you realize you missed hockey practise?" George asked, glaring at his son.

"I... uh... wasn't feeling so good, so the coach excused me from practise." Derek shrugged.

"So then where have you been the last four hours?"

"I needed some air, so I've been out walking. I also stopped at the library to do some research on a school project due next week."

The whole family's jaws dropped at the mention of Derek in a library and doing homework.

"Do you even know where the library is?" Edwin asked with wide eyes.

"Of course I do."

"See?" Casey turned to look at her stepfather and mother. "I told you he was crazy! Derek would never go to a library or get started on a project due next week!"

"Derek, I want the truth." George glowered at his son. "Where have you been the last four hours?"

Casey could tell that Derek was trying to think up some kind of excuse as he stammered, "I... uh..." his eyes then widened at the realization of something as he let out a dramatic sigh. "Alright... you caught me. I didn't go to the library; I went to the mall with a girl."

"What?" Casey gasped, not expecting that answer to come out of his mouth.

"You missed practise to hang out with a girl?" George frowned across the table.

"I know, it was unintelligent and I won't do it again. I promise." Derek apologized.

"Did Derek just apologize?" Edwin's eyes widened once again.

"And he used the word unintelligent instead of just saying stupid..." Lizzie observed.

"Look, I'm just going to skip dinner tonight. I'm not that hungry. Good night." Derek said as he ran up the stairs before anyone could object.

"You didn't find that a little odd?" Casey asked as she set down her fork and stared at her family.

"I admit... it was a little strange... but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about, Casey." George replied.

Casey groaned inwardly as she looked at her mother, "Can I be excused?"

Nora nodded her head and Casey left the table in a hurry. She needed to talk to Derek. Something was going on and she was determined to get to the bottom of it.

% % %

Derek Venturi paced the hardwood floor of his... actually not his... bedroom and ran his hands through his hair. After ditching Casey and running from school, Derek had gone for a walk, needing the fresh air to help him figure things out. Ever since he'd woken up that morning, his life had been altered somehow and needed answers.

He wasn't lying at first when he'd told his father that he'd gone to the library because he had. Where else does one seek answers at a desperate time? He'd spent the last three hours doing research, but not for school. This research consisted of topics like: '_Waking up in another Life', 'Alternate-realities', _etc... And he'd finally come to the conclusion that that must be what he was experiencing. There was no other login answer unless it really was a prank... which he realized would have been very hard to pull off all in one night... Casey was good but not _that_ good.

After a while Derek realized that he had no choice but to go along with this messed up reality until he could figure out a way to get back to his own world. He knew that if he went home raving like a lunatic about being in an alternate-life, his family would place him in the mental hospital, so he'd decided that for now he would try to act like nothing was wrong and that he really was the Derek they thought he was.

Derek, however, almost ruined his cover downstairs just now and realized that he needed to figure out who exactly this Derek was and how to act like him without the family catching on.

_The Derek from this world is obviously an idiot, considering he wouldn't even know where the library is. _Alter-Derek thought with a roll of his eyes. He glanced around at all the posters on the walls and comic books lying aroundandhis face twisted into disgust at the dirty laundry and dishes scattered about the room. _And he's a pig._

_This Derek actually seems to be a lot like Casey from my reality. _Derek's eyes widened at the idea and he let out a snort. _Figures. The me from this reality is like her in that reality. _He then raised a brow as a smile formed on his face. _Wait... then that would mean that this Casey is more like me...? No wonder she seemed so... not evil. _His smile then turned into a frown. _But that still doesn't make much sense though... If the other Derek is like evil Casey in this world, then how come this Casey still seems to genuinely care about him?_

Before Derek could think any further, there was a knock at his door.

"Derek?" It was Casey.

"Uh... Just hold on a sec..." Derek replied as he glanced at his reflection in the mirror.

_If I'm going to convince them that I'm their Derek, then I need to try acting like him... and that means looking like him as well... which I'm guessing isn't neat and proper. _

Derek quickly messed up his hair, un-tucked his shirt and unsnapped a couple buttons so that he looked a little less like himself.

"What do you want, Dork?" He asked once he'd opened the door and came face-to-face with Casey. It was something the other Casey said to him all the time, so he guessed that that's how Derek probably greeted her.

A flash of hurt spread across Casey's features but it quickly vanished as she stepped inside his room and took in his appearance with pursed lips.

"I want to know what is going on." She demanded as she folded her arms across her chest. "One minute you're acting all crazy and dressing like you're going to a wedding, and now suddenly you're skipping hockey to hang out with a girl and looking... well... like that..."

"You were right all along. It was a prank." He shrugged nonchalantly. "And I was trying to impress a girl."

"Which girl?" She glared at him.

"That uh... Gab... Gabriella girl..." He stammered out, suddenly feeling like this was a bad idea.

"I thought you turned her down?"

"I did... but it was all a part of my plan."

"What plan?" Casey scoffed.

"Playing hard to get." Derek replied as he popped his collar for effect.

Casey was silent for a moment and then her eyes suddenly turned dark as she took a menacing step towards him, "So all of what you were doing today, the way you were acting, was a prank?"

"Y...yes..." Derek answered as he took a step back.

_I am supposed to be the daunting one here... Why isn't she afraid of me like I'm afraid of the other Casey?_

"Do you realize how worried I was, Derek? I thought something was actually wrong with you! How could you be so cruel and insensible?" Casey shrieked.

_Ok, man... You need to quit acting like a wimp and show her whose boss. You're the prankster in this world, not her, and there is no way you will let Casey intimidate you here too!_

"You really think I care about your feelings, Casey?" Derek scowled wickedly as he suddenly took a step towards her now. "It was fun watching you freak out, that's why I did it. Quit being such a spoil sport and learn to take a joke for once."

Casey's eyes widened and Derek could tell he'd hit a nerve as she stood there, contemplating her next move.

_Was I too harsh? Isn't that the way I'm supposed to talk to her though? _

Casey cleared her throat and Derek thought he could see her eyes misting over with tears, "I don't know what is going on with you, Derek, but that was low, even for you." She said and then turned away and walked out the door, slamming it behind her.

_I made her cry? Should I go and apologize? _Derek shook his head. _I only said what Casey would have said to me if we were in my world. And she's never once apologized for hurting my feelings._

_It actually felt pretty good to talk to Casey that way. Granted, she may not be my real stepsister, but I could make this to my advantage. _

"Maybe finding a way back home isn't such a great idea after all." A sly grin spread across Derek's face as he spoke aloud, "I think I'm going to like living here."

% % %

Casey sat down on her bed, trying to fight the tears threatening to spill. She knew something was wrong with Derek. It was a feeling in her gut that wouldn't go away. There was no way that he'd been faking his emotions all day like that. Even Paul could tell that Derek was serious.

_So then what happened? Now instead of being a wimp, he's turned into an insensitive jerk... well... more so than he already was to begin with. _

Casey knew Derek was hiding something and she was going to find out what it was.

_He is not fooling me._

In all honesty, she just wanted Derek back to the way he was before.

* * *

**Please leave reviews! I would very much love to know your thoughts on this chapter! You guys are Awesome and I'm very thankful for your reviews and for people reading as well!**

**And sorry for some of the confusion about the last chapter and reviewing... I did delete my author's note that I had in here before but I didn't know it would cause problems with reviewing with your username signed in. Sorry about that**

**BTW... I hope you all had an Awesome Christmas and New Year!**


	7. Nothing Alike

**Ok... to be honest... I'm running out of ideas for this story, so it will be ending very soon. This is another shorter chapter and I don't know exactly how I feel about it... So I'll let you decide. ;)**

**It's back in the Alternate reality with our Derek.**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Nothing Alike**

"Did you get rid of him?" Casey asked as she stepped inside the living room from her hiding place in the kitchen. "Is the chess geek gone?"

Derek rolled his eyes, "Yes, Casey, Max just left."

Casey let out a relived sigh and then turned to glare at him, "And did you tell him the truth?"

Derek shrugged, "I tried... but he wouldn't believe me."

"What do you mean he wouldn't believe you?" Casey shrieked as she took a step towards him.

"I told him that I'd decided to extract some revenge on you and it was just a prank but he only laughed in my face saying I would never have to guts to stand up to you."

Casey groaned, "Well that's just great! Now thanks to you, Max Miller thinks I actually like him!"

"You know it's pretty ironic if you ask me." Derek chuckled.

"Excuse me?"

"In my world, Max Miller is Captain of the football team and quite the looker. He and Casey even dated for a while... That is until she realized he was changing her identity and she became allergic to him... or something like that..."

Casey scoffed, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard!"

"Hey, you said you would believe me if I helped you get rid of Max." Derek frowned.

"Technically you didn't really achieve that goal considering he still thinks I'm in love with him, so the deal's off." Casey scowled and then made her way up the stairs, without a second glance back.

Derek clenched his fists and let out a growl as he dashed up the stairs behind her.

"The deal is not off! I got rid of Max just like you asked, so you better help me out or you'll seriously wish you'd never messed with me!" Derek shouted as he banged his fist repeatedly against her locked door.

"Get lost, Derek!" Casey shouted back.

"Fine, then I will just go make a call to a certain chess geek and tell him you changed your mind and would love to go out on a date with him tonight." Derek sneered.

"You don't have the guts!"

"Just as I have told you a million times before, I do have the guts because I'm _not _the spineless stepbrother you know."

There was a pause and then a click as Casey's door opened and Casey stood in the doorway with her arms crossed against her chest.

"I want you to prove it."

"Prove what?"

"Prove that you're from another reality."

"Haven't I already done that by pranking you and pretty much being the opposite of the Derek from this world?"

"You told me the other day that you and Casey from your world have "moments" where you actually treat each other civilly. If that's true then you must know a lot about her... and if she is me... then tell me something that this Derek wouldn't know but you do."

Derek shook his head, "There's only one problem with that. Casey is nothing like you."

"Meaning?"

Derek let out a sigh, "Meaning that the Casey from my world would never let her younger sister dress like a skank, she would never lie to her mother behind her back, she'd never call people names and pick on them because they're different, and, unlike you, Casey would be there for me if I needed her help. No questions asked."

There was a flash of hurt in Alter-Casey's eyes as she stared at Derek and then averted her gaze to the ground.

Derek continued on, softening his tone, "I don't have to prove anything to you. I just want to know... Do you believe me or not?"

"I don't know, ok!" She suddenly shouted as she stared up at him with perplexed blue eyes. "This is all so messed up! I don't know what to believe!"

"How do you think I feel?" Derek shouted back. "My whole life has been turned upside down and I have no idea how to turn it right-side up again!"

"And that's not my problem!"

"What's with all the shouting?" Edwin suddenly appeared from the attic, startling both Casey and Derek as they turned to face him.

"It's nothing, Ed, go back to your room."

"It's about the prank we pulled isn't it?" His eyes were wide with terror. "I knew we shouldn't have done it!"

"_You _were in on the whole Max thing too?" Casey seethed as she took a threatening step towards the attic stairs.

"Please don't kill me?" Edwin cowered with his hands in front of his face. "It was all Derek's idea!"

Derek blocked Casey's path as she tried to go after Edwin, "Leave him alone, Case. We have much bigger things to discuss right now anyway."

Casey glared at him and then turned her attention to the younger stepbrother, "You'll get it later, Ed-weirdo!" She warned and then made her way back inside her bedroom.

Edwin stared at his older brother in complete shock, "Ok, seriously... Who are you and what have you done with my brother? Because regular Derek would never have stood up to Casey... and you even got her to back down!"

"It's complicated, Ed," Derek shook his head. "But I promise you that I'll figure it out."

Derek winked at his alternate brother and then followed Alter-Casey into her bedroom, closing the door behind him.

"That did not just happen..." Edwin mumbled in disbelief as he slowly made his way back up the attic stairs and into his own room.

Alter-Casey was sitting on the edge of her bed with her head in her hands when Derek entered the room. He stood there awkwardly for a couple seconds before clearing his throat.

Casey let out a sigh as she looked up at him in annoyance, "Look, Derek... Just like I said before, even if your little story is true, what does it have to do with me? Why can't you figure your own way home?"

Derek took a seat in her computer chair and glanced around the bedroom, noticing that it was almost set up the same as his but with different paint and posters on the walls, and not to mention the furniture was different as well.

"Because technically this does have to do with you... I practically wished you into existence... (sort of) when I laughed at the idea of a world where Casey pulled pranks on me."

"So that makes it your fault, not mine." She scoffed.

"But it has to do with you as well... and the Casey from my world I guess too..."

Casey sat up straighter on the bed and faced him with a serious look in her eyes, "What about the Derek from this world? What do you think happened to him?"

"I... I honestly don't know..." Derek thought about it for a moment. "Maybe he disappeared... Or... maybe we switched places. I'm not really sure."

"So you're saying that he could be in your universe right now?" Casey raised a brow.

"It's a possibility." Derek shrugged. "But I'm not a multiple reality specialist, so who knows..."

Casey let out a snort as she grinned, "I can just imagine that dork freaking out in your world right now. It's the ultimate prank."

"Knowing Casey, she's probably already sent him to a psych ward to be evaluated because there's no way she wouldn't notice the difference." He smirked. "Unless she thinks it's another prank, which is actually pretty funny."

"Now we're talking." Alter-Casey grinned up at him as she leaned back on the bed with her arms holding her up. "It is the ultimate prank."

"Yeah... the ultimate prank..."

_But what fun is it when I don't have Casey getting angry and yelling "Der-ek!"? _Derek thought with a frown. _ It was one of the joys that came with pranking my stepsister. Plus it was one of the only times I could ever get her attention solely focussed on me. Why? Because I like the attention. I'm greedy. And I'll admit... I find it really hot when she's yelling at me._

"Derek, are you listening to me?" Alter-Casey's voice suddenly cut through his thoughts and Derek turned to look at her.

"What were you saying?"

Casey groaned, "If you would get your thoughts out of the clouds then maybe you would hear me."

_Even though... come to think of it... Now that I've seen this Casey constantly in a foul mood, cheerful Casey was always a turn on as well. _Derek thought as Casey continued to glare his way.

"Anyway," Casey rolled her eyes, "as I was trying to say... What was the last thing you and other Casey said to each other before you woke up here?"

"Why?"

"Just answer the question." She demanded.

Derek sighed with irritation as he thought back to his last conversation with Casey, "She was angry that she couldn't get the purple dye that I put in her shampoo bottle out of her hair for her date with Truman."

"Truman?" Casey glowered. "Is he scum in that reality as well?"

"Well... I don't trust him."

"Ok..." Casey rolled her eyes, "anyway so she was upset because of your prank and that she couldn't go out... Then what?"

"I got grounded for two weeks and she flashed me my trademark smirk. Oh and my dad was trying to pull the guilt trip on me by asking how I would like it if Casey did something like that to me, which I replied with 'Casey would never have the guts to prank me.' And that's when I started thinking about it and the more humorous I thought it was... and yeah... now I'm here."

"And this world's Derek might be there." She said as she leaned forward once again and rested her chin on her fists. Her eyes then lit up as she turned to him with a grin, "You know this might not be such a bad thing. Maybe you got switched because you were _supposed_ to be here."

"Excuse me?" Derek was confused.

Casey stood up and stared at him intently, "It's obvious that you and I are more alike and that the other Derek and Casey are alike, so maybe it all worked out for the best. I couldn't stand having that dork in my life and you couldn't stand having the other Casey in your life, hence why we enjoyed pranking them."

Derek frowned as he stood up, suddenly feeling angry at her words, "You and I are _nothing_ alike! Unlike you, I actually don't mind having Casey in my life. In fact, ever since the McDonalds moved in, my life has been better. At first, I admit, I couldn't stand her and I thought she was invading on my territory, especially with her keener, goody-two-shoes ways, but then I actually got to know her and I... well... I realized that she's not that bad."

Casey was shocked by his outburst as she stared at him with wide eyes, "So... you don't hate the other Casey?"

Derek shook his head, "No, I don't. In fact, after switching realities and being forced to live with you, I understand now what Casey has to go through living with me, and I wouldn't blame her if she hated my guts."

"You like her don't you?" Casey suddenly asked with a smirk.

Derek looked away, "That's ridiculous. She's my stepsister."

"Yeah, the stepsister you have the _hots_ for. Don't deny it. I can see it in your eyes."

Derek shook his head, "Even if I did, it wouldn't matter because I know she would never feel the same way."

"But _I_ do."

Now Derek was beyond confused as he stared at Alter-Casey grinning back at him, "What?"

"From the moment I laid I eyes on you, I knew you were different, and for some reason I felt an attraction to you. I of course didn't want to admit it so I lashed out on you, but the more you stood up to me and the more you tried to prove yourself..." As Casey was speaking, she began to move towards Derek, forcing Derek to back away. "I couldn't help but become attracted to you, especially after you saved me from Truman and I watched you punch him out."

"I... I thought you didn't remember that?" Derek asked as he was backed into the wall.

"I did," she smirked. "I just didn't want you to know."

"So all this time, you've believed that I wasn't Alter-Derek?" Derek frowned.

Casey shrugged, "A part of me still denied it, until now."

Derek could feel the sweat on his brow begin to drip down his face as Casey pressed herself against him, trapping him between her body and the wall. Her dark eyes, terrified him as she rested her hands on his hips.

"C-Casey... What are you doing?" Derek trembled as her hands began to move upwards, roaming his chest and muscles.

"Isn't this what you've always wanted?" She purred, pressing her lips up against his ear. "For Casey to want you, to like you, to have feelings towards you?"

"B... but you're not..."

"I may not have the same personality as your Casey but I have the looks..." She grinned, bringing her hands up to play with his hair.

Derek had to admit, if he blocked out the personality difference, and only looked at the physical aspect, he would have Casey throwing herself at him right now, which, at the moment, felt really good.

"Forget about going back to your own world, Derek, you can stay here and be with me. That way, at least you'll have what you want. You'll have Casey." She said as she pressed her lips against his jaw and began to slowly move upwards, towards his lips.

_I'll have Casey. _Derek thought it over as his body began to shiver with anticipation at finally feeling Casey's lips against his. _But she isn't Casey! _A voice suddenly screamed from the back of his mind. _She may have her looks but that's not the only reason you like Casey, is it? Don't you miss her quirky ways? Keener, dancer, feminist, cheerful, klutzilla, drama queen, protective older sister, feisty, health-freak, afraid of horror movies, poet, friendly, can't lie... "Der-ek!"_

"No!" Derek yelled as he pulled away, just as Alter-Casey's lips were about to touch his.

"Derek, what's the problem?" Casey glowered.

"I can't do this! You may look like her, but you will never _be _her!"

"But..."

Derek shook his head as he grabbed Casey by the shoulders and shoved her off of him; he then made his way towards the door and yanked it open.

"Derek, where are you going?" Casey seethed through clenched teeth.

"I'm going home." He said and then slammed the door behind him.

# # #

Derek paced the floor of Alternate Derek's bedroom as he ran his hands through his hair trying to process all the thoughts racing through his mind at the moment.

_Alter-Casey has the hots for me! Alter-Casey almost kissed me! She was lying to me this whole time! EVIL Alter-Casey has the HOTS for me!_

_ I like Casey, MY Casey, not Alter-Casey, and I like her MORE than just a stepsister! I like everything about her and I don't care that she's a keener, or a klutz, or a grade-grubber, or anything that I've always tease her about; I like Casey the way she is! _

Derek stopped pacing. _But... does Casey like me more than a stepbrother...? Why would she? _Derek frowned. _I've been nothing but a jerk to her the past few years. And now I sort of understand what it's like living with a monster in the room next door..._

Derek let out a groan as he pulled at the hairs in his head with guilt. _I am so sorry, Case! I wish I could take back all the mean things I've ever done! And now, more than ever, I just want to go home so that I can tell you how I feel._

Derek slumped down on top of the bed and let his head rest in his hands. He had no idea how he was supposed to get back to his world and to his Casey. Alter-Casey definitely wouldn't want to help him now, considering he'd just rejected her and told her he liked the other her more.

Derek let out a heavy sigh. _This just seems impossible though... Maybe I should just give up... Maybe Alter-Casey is right and I am meant to be here instead of there... _

Derek stood up and turned on the stereo on Alter-Derek's dresser. Sometimes music helped him calm down and think a little better. The song that began to play wasn't exactly Derek's style of music but it had a good tune, so he decided to let it play and sat back down as he listened.

What would you say  
if I  
told you that all I've thought about  
is you  
since you've been gone  
I wish some way, some how  
I could turn this world right back around  
and mend mistakes I made.

Derek's ears perked up at the lyrics of the song and he began to listen more intently. It seemed to be saying the exact thoughts he was having.

So I could say to you that  
I know things aren't quite like what they used to be  
different faces, different places yeah.  
We could try, oh yeah we could try.

What would you say if I  
told you that I'm not givin' up  
however long it takes  
It's clear that things have changed  
since when we started  
but we can't just walk away, babe.

Derek felt guilty now for thinking of giving up and he knew that he couldn't do that. He was meant to be in his world with his Casey and not here with Alter-Casey.

So I am telling you  
that I know,  
things aren't quite like what they used to be  
different places, different faces yeah  
We could try, oh yeah we could try.

I know, things aren't quite like what they used to be.

Different faces, different places, yeah

We can try, oh we can try...

"I will try!" Derek exclaimed as he jumped up from the bed. "I won't give up and I will get back to where I belong! I will get back to Casey one way or another!"

Suddenly Derek's head started pounding and he dropped to his knees in pain, clutching at his forehead. It felt like a migraine was invading but a hundred times worse.

"Aaah!" He cried out. "What is going on?"

* * *

**Lol! So Derek yelling out "I will try!" seems really corny to me but oh well. Like I said, I'm running out of ideas...**

**Thanks for all the reviews and for reading this story! I hope to get more reviews! They motivate me and force me to complete this story no matter how much I am losing my mind. Haha! :D**

**That song btw was by "Between the Trees" and it's called "We Can Try". I know I used one of their songs in a story before but I love them so much that I needed to use them again. Plus, I realized while listening to that song and trying to come up with ideas for this story, that the lyrics fit perfectly! If you haven't heard that song before, I highly recommend you checking it out! It was the reason I fell in love with this band!**

**Thanks again, readers and reviewers! You guys and girls are Awwwesommme!**


	8. Evil Jerk

**I'm back! Sorry it was so long. Been super busy! This story is almost finished... but not quite yet... **

**I know some of you don't like the chapters with Alter-Derek and Casey but they're necessary for the story, so here is another chapter. It's a long one. I have no idea if it's good or not... so let me know what you thought.**

**Thanks again for all the Awesome reviews!**

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**Evil Jerk**

"Uh... Casey... You do realize that your shirt says loser on the back, right?" Emily Davis asked her friend when she sat down behind her in English class.

Casey spun around in her desk and Emily gasped at the sight before her. Casey's hair was dripping wet and still revealing bits of purple dye, her face was make-up free, and she looked like she was about to go insane, or already had.

"_Yes_," Casey snapped venomously, "I am aware of what is printed on the back of my shirt, along with every other t-shirt, sweater, and dress I own!"

Emily's eyes widened, "What happened?"

Casey's eyes were enflamed as she spoke the words Emily was already expecting to come out of her mouth, "_Derek_ happened!"

"You mean he's back to normal?" Emily let out a sigh of relief. "I was getting a little worried about his behaviour yesterday."

"Define _normal_, Em," Casey snarled with a roll of the eyes, "because he is_ not_ normal!"

"Casey..." Emily tried to reassure her friend but Casey only glared back at her.

"Derek has done nothing but prank me all morning! I woke up to my alarm set at 3AM and couldn't figure out how to turn it off because he _broke_ the off button, then he put _honey_ in my slippers, _mustard_ in my toothpaste; he stole all of my shirts and wrote _Loser _in Big bolded letters, _ruined_ all of my make-up, and then he took the car to school without giving me a ride, forcing me to walk in the _rain_!"

"He did all of that in one morning?"

"Oh, there's more!" Casey scowled as she continued her rant. "When I got to school and opened my locker, all of my text books were _glued_ together! I had to go to the office and beg them to exchange them for new ones! The receptionist told me I'd have to pay a fee for the ones that I'd ruined, so I had to give her the fifty dollars I was saving to buy that new novel series I've been wanting!"

"Oh, Case," Emily gasped with her hand to her mouth. She felt terrible for Casey and she couldn't understand why Derek would do that to her. Yeah, he enjoyed pranking his stepsister on occasion but he'd never actually do something so... evil. And she should know; Emily had been studying Derek since they were kids. This behaviour did not match up with her Derek research at all.

"I just..." Casey let out a sigh as a tear fell down her cheek. "I don't understand why he's doing this... What did _I_ do?"

Before Emily could offer some encouraging words to her distraught friend, their teacher entered the classroom and demanded that everyone face forward and begin working on chapter 19 in their study novels.

Casey frowned as she slowly turned back around in her seat and opened up her book, wiping away the tears still falling down her face.

% % %

Alter-Derek was on cloud-nine right now. He'd been having one of the best days of his life. Being known as the most popular guy in school definitely had its advantages. Girls were falling all over him, left and right; guys were high-fiving him and slapping him on the back; he didn't have to worry about getting good grades, or being called a loser and a freak everywhere he went. And to top it all off, he was finally getting even with his stepsister.

"I could get used to this life." Alter-Derek grinned as he sat back in his chair in the cafeteria during lunch time at the table surrounded by his "friends".

"Yo, D," Sam spoke from across the table, "you missed a hardcore practise yesterday and the coach was furious. Where'd you run off to?"

"I... uh... wasn't feeling so great."

"But even when you're sick, you still attend practise." Sam pointed out.

"Yeah," Ralph added from beside Sam, "like that one time you threw up all over the ice and the coach had to _force_ you to go home," he laughed at the memory. "Ah, good times indeed."

Alter-Derek shook his head with disgust at the mental image as he addressed his "best friend", "I missed one practise," he shrugged, "what's the big deal?"

Sam and Ralph both gasped at his words and exchanged worried glances with each other.

"Are you _still_ sick?" Sam asked, leaning forward to stare into Alter-Derek's eyes.

"Dude, maybe his brain has been switched and this isn't Derek we're talking to." Ralph observed as he stared at Alter-Derek with suspicious eyes.

_How ironic. That idiot almost has it figured out. _Alter-Derek thought. _Now what do I do? They're not buying the sick story... The Derek from this world must really be crazy about hockey. I guess his hockey is like my academics..._

Alter-Derek was about to open his mouth with another excuse when he heard a deathly shriek come from behind him that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand to attention.

"DER-EK!"

"Dude, what did you do?" Ralph smirked as he and Sam stared at the figure standing behind him with horrified eyes.

Alter-Derek slowly stood up and turned around to come face-to-face with Casey McDonald, his Alternate Stepsister. He'd been trying to avoid her all day and he was shocked that she would confront him like this, especially in a cafeteria full of high school students silently watching the scene unfold before them.

_No matter how many times Casey pranked me in my world, I could never stand up to her like this, especially in front of all these people._

"Um... Hey, Casey..." Alter-Derek spoke up, averting her fiery gaze. "How's it going?"

Casey only stood there glaring at him with her hands clenched at her sides. When Derek finally looked up at her face he noticed that she'd been crying and it suddenly felt like he'd been punched in the gut when he realized how much pain he'd caused her today.

_Don't feel sorry for her! She deserves it! _He told himself, but when he looked into her misted blue eyes full of hurt, he knew that this Casey was nothing like the other Casey and that she didn't deserve all the evil things he'd done to her all day.

"Casey, let me speak to him." A familiar voice spoke up and Alter-Derek watched as Emily Davis stepped forward, grabbed him forcefully by the arm and dragged him out of the cafeteria without so much as a single hello to him.

Emily finally let go of Alter-Derek once they were outside in a secluded hallway and she glared at him, "What is your problem, Derek?"

"Um... you're the one that just dragged me out here." He stated, rubbing the sore spot on his arm from where she'd gripped him.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Emily raised her voice at him. "Casey has been crying all morning because of you! You've pulled pranks on her before, Derek, but not this much and not this bad!"

Alter-Derek stared at the girl before him in confusion. Back in his world Emily was one of his friends... now it seemed she was Casey's friend, considering the fact that she was yelling at Derek on Casey's behalf.

"Look, Emily, I don't expect you to understand my reasons, but I do realize now that what I did was wrong." Alter-Derek tried to explain.

"What _reasons_?" Casey asked as she entered the hall and stood beside her friend with a frown. "What reasons do you have for ruining my clothes, my make-up, my text books..."Casey paused as she stared into his eyes, "and my _respect_ for you?"

Derek rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke, "I... I can't explain, Casey... but I really am sorry. I was angry and looking for revenge and I took it out on the wrong person."

"What are you talking about?" She shook her head in confusion.

"I..."

DING!

Suddenly the school bell went off and students began piling into the hallway to get to their next class.

"Derek, tell me what's wrong." Casey raised her voice over the noise as she grabbed her stepbrother's arm.

Alter-Derek glanced around the hall and then looked back at her with a shake of his head, "I can't talk about it, Casey."

"Why not?"

He let out a sigh as he looked down at her hand on his arm, "Because I don't want this to change."

Casey removed her hand and stared at him with a raised brow, "What are you talking about?"

Alter-Derek didn't reply as he took one last remorseful look at her and then took off down the hall before she could stop him.

"I wish he would quit taking off like that!" Casey ground through clenched teeth as she watched him disappear around a corner.

% % %

"Venturi, get your act together!" The gym teacher, Mr. Steinbower, shouted as Alter-Derek stumbled, while playing basketball, and dropped the ball, letting the other team take it and score.

"Sorry," He apologized to his teammates who were glaring at him and muttering curses under their breaths.

_I hate sports! _Alter-Derek grumbled to himself.

"Dude, you're acting like you've never played b-ball in your life." Sam spoke as he approached him with a wary brow. "What's up with you today?"

"Nothing," Alter-Derek shrugged. "I guess I'm just off my game."

"Well you better get back on your game before hockey practise after school."

Alter-Derek cursed under his breath. He had no idea how to play hockey, let alone skate on ice. _How am I going to get out of it this time? There's no way I can go and pretend to have the skills that the other Derek has when I've never played the game in my life._

"Coach will kill you if you're not there today, D, so you better show up, sick or not." Sam reminded him before running up ahead, stealing the ball from the opposing team and shooting it in the net.

% % %

Casey waited by Derek's locker after school for him to show up because she needed to talk to him. He had ten minutes before practise started; enough time to have a quick chat. She was beyond perplexed by his behaviour today. First he was constantly pranking her and then he was apologising to her and telling her he was actually _sorry_, which was a word not usually used in her stepbrother's vocabulary, especially in reference to her.

_I knew something was going on... _Casey thought as she leaned up against the locker with her books in her arms. _I just wish I knew what exactly... All I know is that Derek has not been himself since yesterday morning and I doubt this has all been a prank like he tried to convince me it was. He may be the king of lies, but he doesn't fool me. I've known him too long not to notice when something isn't right._

Casey's gaze fell on the shaggy haired young man just as he noticed her and abruptly changed his course of direction, attempting to avoid the conversation she intended to have with him.

"Derek!" Casey shouted as she bolted after him just as he turned a corner.

Casey immediately caught up to her stepbrother, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and forcing him around to face her.

"Casey, I'm going to be late for practise." Derek complained as he tried to break free from her hold.

"You still have ten minutes," Casey glared at him, "so you and I are going to have a little chat until then."

Derek stared into her fierce eyes and then let out a sigh, "Fine. I'll tell you what you want to know, but it's going to take more than ten minutes..."

"What is?"

"The truth."

Casey raised a questioning brow at him as she folded her arms across her chest and waited for him to go on.

"Look, maybe we should take this discussion to a more secluded area." Derek suggested.

Casey glanced around at the few students watching the duo with interest and nodded her head, "Where?"

"The Prince is parked outside. Let's just go there." Derek said as he began to walk towards the exit.

Casey grabbed his arm, "Wait, Derek, what about hockey practise?"

Derek stared at her hand on his arm and then back up at her, "This is more important."

_Did Derek just say talking with me was more important than going to hockey practise? _Casey gasped inwardly as she watched her stepbrother begin to make his way down the hall again. _Something is definitely not okay. _She thought as she followed behind.

Once they were both seated inside the Prince, Derek in the driver's seat and Casey in the passenger seat, Derek let out a deep breath and turned to look at her.

"You know how I haven't been acting like myself the last two days...?" Derek began hesitantly as he stared down at his fidgeting hands.

Casey nodded, "Yes, and you said it was a prank, even though I know it wasn't."

Derek's eyes widened as he glanced up at her, "Then what do you think it is?"

"Well... I..." Casey thought for a moment and then let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know. But you have been acting very unlike _you_ lately and I know when something is wrong with you, Derek, which worries me more than you know."

"So... you really have been worried about me?"

"Yes, you idiot! You've been acting like a mental patient! Of course I've been worried!" Casey raised her voice.

Derek was silent for a moment as he gazed out the front windshield.

"What if I told you that I... I wasn't your stepbrother?"

"What?" Casey gave him a get serious look. "Derek, our parents are married, of course you're my stepbrother."

Derek ran a hand through his hair as he turned to face her once again, "Have you ever heard about alternate realities?"

Casey's face scrunched up in confusion, "Yeah sure, but what does that have to do with..."

"I'm Derek from an alternate reality." Derek deadpanned.

"Huh?"

"Yesterday morning, I somehow woke up in this world. I have no idea how it happened but one minute I was at home in my reality where you hated my guts and lived to destroy my life, and the next I'm not... and you were all caring and concerned for me..."

"Derek..."

"I know this sounds insane, Casey, but it's the truth. I'm not the Derek from this world."

Casey stared at him, not sure how to respond to what he was saying.

_I bet this is just another stupid prank! _Casey frowned at the thought. _Even though he does seem really sincere... But an Alternate Reality? That's preposterous! _

Derek -or Alternate Derek- continued to speak as Casey argued with the idea still processing through her head. "When I finally figured it out, that I was from an alternate reality, I was scared, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I didn't care. I like it here, Casey. I like the _you_ here."

"I... I'm sorry?" Casey blinked a few times, trying to establish what the Alternate Derek just admitted to her.

Alternate Derek grabbed her hand and gazed into her eyes, "In my world, you live to ruin my life at every chance you get. You prank me, pick on me, call me names..."

Casey pulled her hand out of his and she cut him off, "And that's how you... or Derek is with me... What's your point?"

"It's not the same though. You genuinely care about the Derek here, even though he does all that to you, but in my world I _hate_ my stepsister. I can't stand being around her and being tortured at school and in my own home."

Casey could see the pain behind Alternate Derek's words and felt sorry for him. Maybe she didn't have it so bad with her Derek after all. A thought then occurred to her as her eyes widened.

"If you are who you say you are and you're from an alternate reality, then where is _my_... erm... the Derek from this reality?"

Alternate Derek shrugged, "Honestly, I hadn't really given it much thought."

"Well give it thought now!" Casey raised her voice as she began to think about where Derek could be.

"Maybe we switched places." Alternate Derek suggested.

"You mean, he could be in your reality right now?"

"It's a possibility." He shrugged nonchalantly. "And if he is, then I wish him luck."

Casey suddenly grabbed her alternate stepbrother by the shoulders and forced him to look into her anxious eyes, "You need to switch back!"

Alternate Derek's face recoiled at the thought as he pulled away from her grasp with a frown, "No way!"

"Why not?"

"Because, don't you get it? I like it here! I'm popular, I have more than two friends, girls _beg _to go out with me, and you're nice to me. Why would I ever want to go back?"

"Because you don't belong here." Casey glowered.

Alternate Derek turned to glare at her, "Yes I do. Maybe Derek and I switched places for a reason? Think about it, Casey; now you don't have to put up with all the nonsense he's caused. He and the other Casey have more in common and you and I have more in common. It was meant to be this way."

Casey scowled at him, "You've caused more _nonsense _this morning than my Derek ever had! You ruined everything of mine!"

Alternate Derek backed up against his door with his hands raised in surrender, "I really am sorry about that, Casey. But now you can understand why I did all those things."

"How?" Casey spat venomously.

"I wanted revenge on the Casey from my world, and I thought since you look like her, that it would make me feel better to prank you. I realized later how wrong I'd been and that you're nothing like her and you didn't deserve anything I'd done to you. I empathized with you, Casey, because I knew how you felt."

"Yeah, well you better use your empathy to pay for all the damage you caused. You owe me more than two hundred dollars."

"I promise I'll pay you back. Just please don't hate me? I like having a stepsister that actually cares about me."

Casey didn't know how to respond to that. One part of her felt sorry for the alternate Derek but another part of her couldn't stand him.

_He isn't Derek._

"I need to get some air." Casey said as she opened the passenger side door and began to get out of the car.

"Where are you going?" Alternate Derek asked as he grabbed her by the arm.

"This is all too much for me right now." Casey spoke as she turned to look at him. "I'm going to walk home. I need to think."

Alternate Derek let go of her arm as she stepped out of the car and closed the door.

"I'll see you later then?" He asked as he rolled down the window.

Casey nodded with a forced smile and waved goodbye as she began the long walk home.

% % %

After Casey had arrived home from her walk, she'd immediately gone upstairs to her room and closed the door; needing to avoid Alternate Derek at all costs. She didn't know how to confront him about how she felt.

During the walk, Casey realized how much she really missed Derek and how much she wanted him back. Yeah, he enjoyed tormenting her on a regular basis, but that was just Derek, and he'd never actually done anything to emotionally scar her or ruin her belongings the way the other Derek had done that day. She understood why the alternate Derek had done those things but he still had no right to think he could be her Derek and get away with it.

_Ugh! Why do I keep referring to him as MY Derek? _Casey let out a groan. _He's not mine! _

To be honest, it wasn't even the pranks that had hurt Casey so much that day, it was the fact that _Derek_ had done them to her, or who she _thought_ was Derek. She couldn't understand why he would do all those nasty things to her and it was killing her inside trying to figure it out.

_At least now I know it wasn't really Derek who had wanted to hurt me._

A tear fell from Casey's eye as she walked along the street. She'd always wanted a life without Derek, but now that Derek was gone, she wanted him back. No, she _needed_ him back.

_But how do I get him back? The other Derek doesn't want to leave. _

She couldn't even imagine what Derek was going through right now.

_If he is in the alternate world, does he prefer it there as well? Maybe he likes the fact that I'm more like him there...? Maybe he doesn't want to return either and I'm stuck with the alternate Derek forever? _Casey's eyes widened in horror at the thought.

_Maybe it won't be such a bad thing... This Derek is smarter, healthier, kinder (minus the revenge pranks)... _Casey shook her head as more tears began to fall. _But he's not Derek._

Now as Casey sat down on her bed and let her head fall into her hands, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't go on living with someone who looked like Derek but wasn't Derek. And what about the family? They were bound to figure out the differences soon... Right? Unless Alternate Derek was a really good actor and could pull off being their Derek. Casey scoffed at that thought. _No one can pretend to be Derek. He's original and unique and... I want him back._

% % %

"Dinner!"

Casey was woken up by the sound of George yelling up the stairs and realized she'd fallen asleep while worrying about the Derek issue.

"Hey, Case, are you coming down for supper? Mom made spaghetti and meatballs." Lizzie said as she peeked inside her elder sister's bedroom.

Casey sighed. She could feel the rumble of hunger in her stomach but she didn't want to face Alternate Derek. How was she supposed to tell him that she didn't want him to stay?

"Um... I'll be down in a minute, Liz. Thanks." Casey spoke as she sat up in bed and swung her legs over the edge.

"Ok but don't take too long. You know how impatient Derek gets about eating a meal." Lizzie chuckled as she closed the door behind her and made her way downstairs.

_If only he was the real Derek... _Casey thought with a frown.

After fixing her bed-headed hair, Casey began her decent down the stairs and took her usual seat at the dining room table. She could feel Alternate Derek's eyes on her but she couldn't force herself to return the gaze.

"Casey, it's nice to see you awake. Were you just tired or not feeling well after school?" Nora asked from Casey's right as she scooped some pasta onto a plate for Marti and passed it down the table.

"Mmm!" The nine-year-old exclaimed as she received her dinner and began to dig in with a smile on her face.

"I... was just a little tired." Casey replied, staring down at her empty plate.

"Guess who failed their math exam today?" Edwin changed the subject with a mischievous grin directed at his younger stepsister.

"Edwin!" Lizzie growled as she kicked him under the table.

"Ow!" Edwin cried, reaching down to rub his now bruised shin.

"Lizzie, you failed your math exam?" Nora turned to her daughter with a dissatisfied frown.

Lizzie blushed, avoiding eye contact, "Yes. I don't know what happened... I guess I didn't study hard enough."

Edwin snorted, "I'd say you studied plenty, especially on the subject of _Marvin_." He teased while stuffing a fork full of pasta into his mouth.

Lizzie's eyes widened with surprise as her cheeks turned an even darker shade of red.

"Who's Marvin?" Marti smirked with a glint in her eye.

"He's..." Edwin began but Lizzie cut him off with a fierce glare. "He's no one and Edwin needs to learn to mind his own business."

"Well, whoever this Marvin is," Nora spoke up as she looked at her youngest daughter, "try not to let him distract you from your _real_ studies, ok sweetie?"

Lizzie nodded her head, "Sorry, Mom. It won't happen again."

"Speaking of school..." Said George as he glowered at Alternate Derek. "I got another call today from your hockey coach, informing me that you missed practise, _again_."

Casey watched as Alternate Derek kept his eyes on his plate, poking a meatball with his fork.

"What girl were you with this time, Derek?" George asked sternly.

Alternate Derek let out a sigh as he dropped his fork, making it clink on the side of the plate and looked up at his alternate father.

"I wasn't with a girl. To be honest, I'm just not that into hockey anymore, so I've decided to quit the team."

Everyone's jaws dropped and Edwin let out a gasp.

"What?"

"You're not serious!"

"Is this a prank?"

The three younger siblings spoke at once.

Alternate Derek shook his head, "This is not a prank and I am serious. In fact, I'm going to talk to the coach tomorrow."

Casey couldn't believe what she was hearing. _He can't do that! He has no right! Derek has to play hockey, that's who Derek is!_

"But, Derek, hockey is your life." Edwin pointed out, looking like he was about to cry from the shock.

"Not anymore. I've decided I need to focus more on my studies and build up my grades. What kind of career choice is hockey anyway?" He snorted.

"It was _yours_ and you were fine with it."

George finally cleared his throat, realizing he should say something, "Look, Derek, why don't you take the weekend to really think about your decision before fully making up your mind."

"But I have made up my mind. I'm through with hockey and that's that."

Casey glared across the table at her alternate stepbrother and decided to speak up, "Can I have a word with you, _Derek_?" She ground out through clenched teeth as she stood up and grabbed him by the arm, forcing him to stand as well.

"I haven't finished my meal yet." Alternate Derek protested.

"You can finish it later." Casey snapped as she shoved him towards the stairs. "I need to talk with you, _now_."

"Good, Casey might be able to talk some sense into him." Casey heard Edwin whisper to his family as she and Alternate Derek made their way up the stairs.

Once they were inside Derek's room with the door closed, Casey spun towards the alternate version of Derek and shouted, "What are you doing?"

Alter-Derek shrugged nonchalantly, "I'm quitting hockey. There's no way I can pull off being Derek when I can't even play the sport. People will get suspicious."

"And having Derek give up on his dreams _won't_ make people suspicious?" Casey raised a brow as she folded her arms across her chest. "Everyone knows that besides girls and family, hockey is number one in Derek's life. He would never give it up like that."

"Well he's going to have to if I'm him."

"What gives you the right to think you can _be_ him?" Casey scowled. "You _can't_ be Derek and you _never_ will be Derek."

"I can be the new and improved Derek."

"No one wants a new and improved Derek. We just want Derek, for who he is."

"Even you? Especially after everything he's done to you over the years?"

Casey nodded, "Yes. I don't care if Derek tends to ruin my life with his obnoxious pranks and ridicules; I want him back. I need him back."

Alter-Derek's eyes widened at the realization of something, "Do you have feelings for Derek?"

Casey immediately shook her head, "No, of course not!"

"Then why do you care about him so much?"

"Because... I just do..."

"Because you like him more than a stepbrother." Alter-Derek grinned.

"I... I don't..."

_Do I? _Casey thought to herself. _I guess I've never really seen Derek as an actual brother... but... could I really have romantic feelings towards him? _

Alternate Derek suddenly grabbed her by the arms, forcing her to look into his eyes, "I could be that Derek for you. You don't need him anymore."

"What?"

"I like you, Casey, and if you like Derek, then I'll be Derek."

"But you're not Derek." Casey shook her head.

"I can learn to be." He smiled excitedly. "And then we can be together and I won't have to return to my reality."

"But..."

"Think about it, Casey, even if you did get the other Derek back, do you really think he'd feel the same way about you as you do with him? You guys are nothing alike. At least with me the feelings are reciprocal."

Casey shook her head as she pulled out of his grasp, "No! Derek would never use that word and you are not Derek! I don't care if he doesn't feel the same way, as long as he's back in this world, I'm happy."

_Whoa! Did I just admit that I do like Derek in that way?_

Alter-Derek's face turned red with anger as he backed her against the door, "Don't you get it, Casey? _Your_ Derek isn't coming back. _I'm_ here to stay, so you better get used to it."

"You don't belong here." Casey glared into his eyes with rage. "You never will, and you're right, I do like Derek more than a stepbrother, and I_ will_ find a way to return him home."

"We'll see about that." Alternate Derek grinned as he stepped away from her, allowing her space to leave the room and close the door behind her.

_What an evil jerk!_

% % %

Later that night, as Casey was getting ready for bed she could feel her eyes beginning to mist over with tears. She'd just admitted that she likes Derek, not only to Alternate Derek but to herself as well. _Why hadn't I realized this before? _She thought as she changed into a pink tank top and blue pyjama pants. _And why did it take him not being here to realize it? _

_ Can I really find a way to get him back? _

Casey stared at her melancholy reflection in the mirror and grabbed a strand of faded purple hair. The color really didn't look that bad in her hair and it was only a stupid joke. How was Derek supposed to know it wouldn't wash out right away?

Casey let out a sigh. _I miss you, Derek._

"Aahh!"

Casey's thoughts were interrupted when she heard a cry of pain from the room next door. It sounded like Alter-Derek was hurting. Even though Casey could really care less about her alternate stepbrother, she needed to now what was going on, so she raced out of her bedroom and into Derek's to see Alter-Derek on the floor, clutching his head and groaning in agony.

"What's going on?" Casey gasped as she watched his figure suddenly fade away and in it's a place another figure that looked just like him but in different clothing appeared.

"Derek?"

* * *

**Is Derek back for good? Hmm... I guess you'll have to read the next chapter and find out... Hopefully it'll be updated ASAP. **

**Thanks for Reading and please Review, it would mean a lot and I really enjoy getting feedback. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. And just like the saying: The more Reviews = me updating faster.**


	9. Your Derek

**It has been Way, way, way, way, way, WAY too long, I know! I am so sorry, but to be honest, I lost the desire to write this story... I have been writing a new LWD fic and was thinking of posting it on here but I knew that I couldn't do that unless I finished this story first because people would get really upset with me. SO I stayed up till 2 AM, trying to figure out how to finish the story off and finally did it. I admit, it's not the best ending and it's a bit cheesy in my standards... also it's short... but at least I thought of something and I hope that the majority of you will appreciate it anyway.**

**I love you guys, all of you who have been following this story, reading, reviewing, etc... Thank you so much!**

**Here is the end to Life WIth Casey (Alternate Reality). Enjoy...**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**Your Derek**

Alter-Derek let out a sigh of relief once the sudden pain in his head stopped pounding and he was able to focus on his surroundings. A curse escaped his mouth when he realized where he was.

"No! How did this happen?" He cried as he stood up and stared at the familiar room with wide eyes.

"Derek, what's going on?" Casey's voice shouted from outside his bedroom door. "I heard yelling. Is everything okay?"

Alter-Derek was speechless as he stared at the closed door in shock. Was his evil stepsister actually standing outside his door, concerned for him?

"Derek, answer me!" She yelled as she tried to open the door. It was locked.

"I..." Derek didn't know how to reply. Maybe the other Casey had travelled back with him...? But she hates him now. She wouldn't be concerned for him.

"Look, I know I freaked you out earlier but I really think this could work out..."

_What is she talking about? _Alter-Derek wondered with a frown. _Has Casey changed her mind about being with me instead of the other Derek? _

A grin formed on Alter-Derek's lips as made his way to the door, unlocked it, and opened it up to come face-to-face with Casey, _his_ Casey. The grin was immediately replaced with a scowl and he let out another curse under his breath.

"What were you yelling about in there? It sounded like you were in pain." His stepsister said as she glanced inside the bedroom behind him.

"Why me?" Alter-Derek suddenly yelled as he pulled at his hair in anguish. "How did I end up back here?"

"What is wrong with you? You're freaking out like the other Derek used to." Casey glowered as she folded her arms across her chest.

"That's because I am him!" Alter-Derek shouted. "Somehow I'm back in this miserable place."

"If you were the other Derek, you wouldn't be talking so boldly to me right now." Casey spoke with pursed lips as she leaned against the doorframe. "I bet this is some kind of scheme to make me think you're him just so I won't throw myself at you again."

"No... I... What?" Alter-Derek's eyes widened in horror. "Throw yourself at me?"

Casey rolled her eyes, "Quit playing the stupid act, Derek. I'm not falling for it, and I can't change the way I feel about you either. I like the way you're so forceful with me." She grinned.

"You l-l-like me?"

"Hence me trying to kiss you earlier." She sighed with annoyance. "You better just admit defeat, Venturi, and realize that you're never getting back home to your little Miss. Goody-two shoes, and that you'll just have to settle for me. I can try to be nicer to you at least..."

_She really thinks that I'm the other Derek...? _Alter-Derek thought in his head. _And she likes me... er... him... and she'll treat me better if I like her back...? _A sinister grin suddenly formed on his face as Alter-Derek grabbed his stepsister by the arm and pulled her to him, crashing his lips against hers.

"Maybe this world isn't so bad after all..." He said as he pulled their lips apart for air.

"I knew you'd come around." She smirked and pulled him back for more.

(=)

Derek lay on a familiar hardwood floor trying to regain his senses. He remembered his head feeling like it was about to explode and then suddenly there was a blinding flash of light. He had no idea what happened but the headache was gone.

"Derek?" A voice he knew all too well spoke up from behind him.

Derek spun around on his knees and looked up to see Casey standing in his doorway with a horrified expression on her face.

"H-how did I get here?" Derek asked as he looked around the room, noticing that the walls were no longer purple and it was back to the way he remembered it.

"Derek, is it really you?" Casey questioned with uncertainty.

He stared up at her as a smile spread across his face. He'd missed those compassionate blue eyes more than he'd like to admit.

"Of course it's me, Spacey. Who else would it be?"

She still seemed wary as she stared into his eyes, unsure of what to do.

"What's _reciprocal _mean, Derek?" Casey asked with a raised brow.

"Recipo-what?" Derek replied in confusion.

"It is you!" Casey cried in excitement as she rushed over to him and pulled him into a warm embrace.

Derek eagerly returned the hug, taking in her vanilla scent as he let out a sigh of relief. He could feel her begin to sob into his shoulder and he quickly pulled away.

"Whoa! What's with the tears?"

Casey blushed as she wiped her eyes with her bare arm and focussed her gaze on the floor, "I'm sorry... I just... I thought you were gone forever."

Derek's eyes widened in surprise, "How... how did you know I was gone?"

"This may sound absurd but... The Alternate version of you told me."

Derek grabbed Casey by the shoulders and looked into her tear stained eyes, "You mean... he was here? Alter-Derek was here?"

Casey nodded weakly, "Yes and he was even more of a jerk than you."

"What did he do?"

"He was trying to take over your life, Derek. He was going to quit the hockey team and he told me that you would never return to this reality."

"Does anyone else know about this?"

"No," Casey shook her head. "Who would believe it?"

Derek let out a deep breath. He wasn't sure how exactly he'd gotten home but he was thankful. One more day in the alternate reality with the other Casey would have driven him insane.

"So... were you in the alternate reality?" Casey asked. "Was the other me there too?"

Derek nodded with a frown, "Yes, and Case, I'm so sorry for every mean thing and prank I've ever done to you in the past." His eyes bore into hers with a passion that Casey had never seen before. "I now know how horrible it feels to be on the other end of those pranks and the humiliation I've caused you over the years."

Casey stared back at him with wide, terrified eyes, "Derek... is this really you, or did you switch places with some other alternate version of you again...?"

Derek let out a laugh as he grabbed her by the shoulders and gazed into her beautiful blue eyes, "It's me, Princess, _your_ Derek."

"_My _Derek?" A small smirk appeared on her face.

"If you'll let me be?" He mirrored the smirk as he placed his hand in hers. "I realized that I never want to be without you in my life again. Even though your keener ways annoy the heck out of me, I'd rather have you just be you, and not more like me... so to speak."

Casey's cheeks turned red as she avoided looking into his eyes, "I realized the same about you, Derek. I'd always wished for a life without you constantly ruining mine, but in actuality, I love my life with you. You have no idea how much I missed having you just being _you_."

"So..." Derek trailed off as he lifted her chin to look into her eyes. "Does that mean you missed me in a brotherly way or..."

Before Derek could finish that sentence, Casey's lips were on his.

_Finally! _Derek whooped in his head as he pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. _I have my Casey at last._

* * *

**Thanks again for being so awesome! I am truly and deeply sorry about taking so long to finish this story. I hope that you're not too angry with me and will tune into my new story once I decide to post it online... It's a bit different from any other Dasey story you've probably read... but I like it so far and I'm excited to share it with you all. **

**God Bless!**


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